Legends of Terra Book 2 Arc 1: Return to the Island
by TFAN Override-Dragon Light
Summary: It's been six months. Six months since Emma's life-changing adventures in the Matoran Universe. So, when she returns to the island one thousand years later, she finds herself struggling to prove herself to the island's new protectors. But when the shadows begin to close in, can Emma and the Toa Nuva put their differences aside to defend their people? Ch.7 - Facing her Darkest Fears
1. Chapter 00 - Prologue

A/N - Just a little teaser for you guys! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Only my OCs and - right now - the plot.

* * *

_Darkness._

_Pain._

_Her body ached. _

_She could barely see._

_A shadowy figure stood over her. His glowing red eyes filled with malice._

_"__You have been a thorn in my side for long enough." His voice was hoarse, dark. "Now, little Toa, you must be dealt with."_

_Explosions. _

_Fighting._

_A red form about to be hit with something dark._

_She threw herself forwards. "NO!"_

_The world blurred, and she was screaming._

_"__Let him go!"_ _Someone snarled._

_A maniacal laugh. "If you _insist_, Toa of Fire."_

_Then she was falling._

_A voice, so familiar, called out her name in terror._

_She could see something - no, SOMEONE - golden below her. _Falling_ below her. _

_The ground was coming fast._

_She screamed. _

_"__TAKA!"_

* * *

Emma shot up with a gasp. She stared at her nightlight lit room with wild, terrified arctic blue eyes. Shakily, she placed a hand to her chest. Her blonde and blue hair stuck to her forehead from sweat. Her breathing was frantic. Her heart was pounding. "Holy…!"

Trembling, she crawled to her bed ladder. Sliding off the loft bed with a small thunk, she stumbled to her window. The girl collapsed on the desk chair sitting next to it, and with shaking hands moved her blue curtains looked outside.

The street was blanketed with fresh snow, and a crescent moon sat high in the sky. Emma could see hundreds of stars in the clear sky, all so familiar. And the constellations…

She could see Orion, Canis Major, Taurus… so many of them. She could see the Pleiades Star Cluster, where the Orion Nebula was in the constellation… She loved the late December night sky.

But there was another sky she had grown to love. Emma closed her eyes, and for a moment, she could see the sky of Aqua Magna rising before her. The multitudes of stars… the wisps of purple nebulae… Bara and Bota Magna resting on the horizon… and the faded Toa constellation. All six different coloured stars… and the tiny gold star nearby.

She could see Mount Ihu rising in the distance, its white peak rising higher than the Mangai Volcano. The forests of Le-Wahi, the swamps of Ga-Wahi, and the deserts of Po-Wahi. The caverns of Onu-Wahi, lit with lightstones and tiny, bioluminescent creatures.

Opening her eyes, Emma gazed out at the quiet street. She placed a trembling hand on the window, soon followed by her forehead, her heart torn again.

"Why is this so difficult…?" The girl whispered, a single tear running down her cheek, "Why can't I have both of my families with me…?" She let out a stifled sob, "Why… Why was I taken there…? And why was I taken away…?"

There was no answer, and she didn't expect one.

Her heart wasn't pounding anymore, and her breathing was much calmer. But still…

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked herself. "My nightmares have never been like that before. They've always been about that night…" She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push the memories back, "That horrible, _horrible_ night…"

Letting out a shuddering breath, the girl forced herself to stand up. Closing her curtains, she made her way back to her bed. She crawled under her Captain America covers - a gag gift from her uncle and cousin - and held a small, brown teddy bear to her chest.

She didn't bother to glance at her alarm clock, and closed her eyes. Before she drifted off, Emma had one last thought.

_I love you big brothers, big sister. I hope you sleep well. I miss you._

* * *

Vakama stared up at the night sky, his red-orange bioluminescent eyes holding a faraway look. He could vividly remember the dream he had had.

Or more accurately, the vision.

"Emma…" The Turaga of Fire murmured.

Footsteps came from behind him. "Vakama?"

He turned. "Nokama." He greeted his sister. "What are you doing up?"

The Turaga of Water hobbled up beside her fiery brother. "I could ask you the same thing, brother."

When Vakama didn't answer, Nokama placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault Vakama." She comforted, knowing what he was thinking of. "She made her choice, and we _know_ that she is safe." The Water Turaga squeezed her brother's shoulder. "She's _home_, Vakama. With her original family."

The Fire Turaga sighed. "I know, Nokama. It's just… the way she left…" He couldn't finish his sentence, his throat squeezing.

His sister hugged him tightly. "I know brother. I know."

After a moment, the two pulled apart. Nokama took Vakama's hand, and without a word the two headed back to the Kini Nui.

The Turaga of Fire glanced back, his eyes landing on the six-star constellation, now dimmer then what it had once been. But his focus was on the nearby, tiny golden star.

_We miss you little sister. It may not be today, tomorrow, or a century from now, but we will see each other again. I hope you sleep well, little one._

* * *

A/N - Coming soon to FanFiction…

And yeah, little spoiler for the future! ;D

I'm still working on the chapters. But I am also doing another series currently. Called _Rise of the Dragon_, it is a Superior Defender Gundam Force story.

…Yeah, not a well known series, but I really enjoy it! So, my focus will be on the idea that had been bouncing around by head for the past couple years. And yes, it's a rewrite of an old series. A _very seriously needed_ rewrite.

So, while I have posted this, I will be focusing elsewhere for a while. But don't worry! I _will_ post the first chapter soon!

…Just gotta finish writing it.

I'm also planning on doing a more weekly system, by posting a chapter every week. Hopefully. I mean, sometimes I hit a snag, and then _everything_ goes out of whack… yeah. So, hopefully weekly updates, if not monthly. (I am _REALLY, REALLY_ trying here!)

Until next time!

First Chapter - A Stormy Return


	2. The Interlude 1

_In an unknown location, was a small grey room. In that dark room, two black single seat cushions, sitting across from each other, were illuminated by a single white ceiling light. Two figures entered from a side door, each taking a seat, waiting for the signal from the hidden camera person._

_On the left sat a wingless humanoid red tailed hawk, who had brown eyes and glasses. He wore a green vest, green t-shirt, green cargo pants, and green boots. His feathers were a little ruffled, and he ran a clawed hand over his head, trying to settle them._

_On the right sat an anthropomorphic arctic wolf, who had blue eyes and a large pair of white feathered wings - the primaries and other lower feathers coloured blue - on her back. She wore a simple blue and gold t-shirt with an open back for her wings, jean capris and blue and black fingerless gloves. Her long gold and blue striped hair was pulled into a high ponytail, with long bangs hanging over her right eye. She brushed the bangs to the side absently, revealing a claw-like scar running over it._

_There was a silent signal from behind the camera, and the wolf smiled, crossing her right leg over her left one._

"Hey everyone! It's me, TFAN Override-Dragon Light." The wolf laughed in greeting, waving in the camera's direction. "Long name, yes, I know. You guys can just call me TFAN, and today I'm here to bring you…" she paused for dramatic effect, "_The Interlude_! My co-host here is fellow Bionicle fan and future author: Razoreagle k'Leshya. He's a pretty amazing person, who reached out to me after I responded to a flame on my one-shot story _A Series of Moments: Bionicle Edition_." She grinned. "Now Razor, why don't you introduce yourself to the readers?" TFAN gestured to the hawk, who smiled and waved a clawed hand.

"Sure thing. Razoreagle k'Leshya here." He greeted. "I've recently begun helping TFAN here with her writing as one author to another, having been working on a project of my own since high school junior year. That project has gone through the ringer often enough it's got most of the kinks worked out. That aside, if you happen to hear about a _tervardi_ resembling a red tailed hawk with brown eyes," he gestured to himself, grinning, "that's probably me in all likelihood. For the mortally curious, I have a particular proverb which sums up my first story quite well: 'To find another takes years, but to find one's self takes a lifetime.'"

The wolf let out a low whistle. "Wow. Quite the introduction. I have some questions for you, if I may."

Razor let out a laugh. "Ha ha! I didn't realize that this was an interview! All right, fire away then."

"Okay then." TFAN leaned back a bit, a smirk tugging on her muzzle. "Well, my first question is: what is your planned story called?"

The hawk raised a brow. "Starting with a real doozy, are we? Why, it's called _The Light in the Darkness._"

The wolf cocked her head. "What's it about? If I may."

He grinned. "It's a dark tale about how there's a right and wrong way to achieve vengeance, how a person can change in unpredictable ways, and how easy it is for the people closest to you can all too easily not be what they outwardly seem. Ultimately, it's a warning that you can never truly know entirely who someone is, even yourself."

TFAN raised a brow, a little put back. "…That's pretty vague. Trying to keep us in suspense huh?"

Razor chuckled. "Must preserve some secrets, hmm? Wouldn't want to drop too many spoilers, after all."

"All right, all right." She laughed. "I get it. I do the exact same thing." Uncrossing her legs, she got right to business. "Okay, second question: What do you think of my overall story so far?"

Razor adjusted his glasses. "A marvellous piece of literature! Right up there with Mercedes Lackey, Piers Anthony, and J. K. Rowling! Some of my favourite authors I'll have you know." He continued to adjust his glasses needlessly.

TFAN's cheeks blushed bright red. "…Wow. I... never thought that you liked it that much."

His lenses were completely obscured in reflected light, hiding his brown eyes. "Well now you know." After another adjustment his lenses were back to normal.

"So…" she coughed, trying to retain her composure, "what exactly do you like about it?"

Razor leaned back, grinning. "The fact that the story is just well written, the attention to detail, and the relatable characters are, in my mind, the biggest draws for me. Definitely on my list of must reads so far for those reasons."

"Wow." The wolf rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, I've been told I got a talent for writing, but in contests I've only been runner up most of the time." She shook her head. "Honestly, I thought most of that were the librarians being nice since I knew them really well." She quickly refocused in the task at hand. "I have to ask, but what's _your_ favourite part of the series so far?"

Razor smirked, replying in a lighthearted southern drawl. "Hey, you asked so I gave you ma honest opinion, kay? I judge a story based on its merit. If the story gets my attention and keeps it in the first read and keeps my attention throughout usually gets in my recommend list."

TFAN snorted. "Well, you seem like quite the flatterer. And your accent's a little off - no offence. But you didn't answer my question."

He dropped his accent. "Dwhoops!" The hawk grinned sheepishly, settling his feathers. "In all honesty, I'm not really sure…" he trailed off for a second, before saying "I could narrow it down to Emma's backstory reveal and the language barrier issue for the attention to detail on the latter and the impact of the former. Those things that some people just ignore with alien encounter stories most times."

The wolf nodded. "I understand. To be honest, I've seen this before with other stories, and it is easy to overlook." Glancing at her watch to check the time, she continued, "Okay, so those are from my One-Shot series, but is there anything you like from the main plot?"

When Razor gave no response, she glanced over at him. "Razor?"

The hawk snored. "…zzzzz…"

TFAN glowered at him. "RAZOR!"

He let out a snort and shot upright. "W-What?!"

The wolf facepalmed. "You fell asleep Raz." She deadpanned.

Razor grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, sorry."

TFAN sighed, leaning back and forcing her wings to relax. "It's fine. Just, answer the question."

He stared at her. "…Question…?"

"For the love of-!" She made an irritated sound, throwing her hands up. "Is there anything you like from the main plot?!"

"Oh!" The hawk jumped. "Well, it's hard to pin down any one specific thing that I like in particular, though the Chekhov's gun deal with the Toa Suva and the Hordika venom are two things I have to point out as interesting." He adjusted his glasses again. "For those unaware, Chekhov's gun is a theatre term, meaning that when something is mentioned in the first act, it then remains a constant presence in the second act, and is used in the third act." Leaning back, he said, "Again, main plot, could not pick any single thing from it, I don't really remember things all that well. And finally, I have a question for you, TFAN, before your next question: what might the likelihood of another collab like this happening in future be, and when?" He gestured at the room. "Between the two of us, I mean?"

TFAN smiled. "Well, it's kind of a relief to know that you cannot chose one specific thing. That tells me that my story has many points that are very well liked. As for your question," she smirked, "if this turns out really well, then I will most likely do it again. But if you're talking story collaboration, then we'll see."

Razor nodded. "Next question, if you will, unless of course you have no others to throw at my face like a clown lobbing a whipped cream pie." He grinned at the camera. "Don't take that out of context, people!" He pushed his specs back into place only for the reflected light to completely obscure the lenses again.

The wolf let out a snort, raising a brow. "Really? A clown joke? Anyways, as for your question, go for it."

The hawk chuckled. "Well, do you have any more questions? Or do I just high tail it out of here after the keyboard and mouse I need to start writing the final draft of _The Light in the Darkness_? And if neither, then you can answer one more question."

TFAN leaned forwards, curious. "No more questions here, so what's yours?"

Razor grinned evilly, which was accompanied by a mysterious ding. "How many clowns does it take to make a car?"

She raised a brow. "Another clown joke? Okay, I'll bite." The wolf grinned. "My answer: none."

He laughed. "That's where you're wrong! The correct answer is: It depends on the car you are trying make! DA ha hahahahah!" Calming down, the hawk then said, "Joking and riddles aside, that wraps it up. Stay tuned for more _Legends of Terra_, and se ono sverdar sitja hvass! _Zhai'helluva_ everybody!" He waved at the camera.

TFAN shook her head and gave an eye roll. "Okay, very amusing." She chuckled. "Thank you for participating in this event Razor, and good luck with your story! I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us!" Turning to the camera, she smiled. "This ends _The Interlude_. Now, I will say that I am suffering a little bit of writers block. But don't fear, for next week I shall post the first true chapter for this book!" The wolf grinned. "And I will warn you now, things are going to get crazy!" She waved at the camera. "Until next time everyone!"

_The camera turned off, and the two stood, shaking themselves out. They shook hands, and departed together through a side door, leaving the room behind them._


	3. Chapter 1 - A Stormy Return

A/N - I'm _baaaaaaack!_ With the first true chapter of Book 2 Arc 1! This is amazing! I've never made it this far as a writer, and I get to share this with you guys!

Sorry it came out so late. My day was just heck, because last evening I had a little accident and fell down some stairs. I'm okay, but my hip was really hurt so I ended up going to the hospital and having my devices confiscated at one point. Also, my new iPhone - that I got about 11 months ago - died. As in, it will never power on again. I blew my top when that happened! I was so upset (there's more information on my profile update). At least I kept my old iPhone 5c (so old, I know), so I at least _have_ a phone!

Everything's calm now, so I'm gonna post this quickly before something _else_ happens. Like my cat deciding to run out in the rain and leave me to give her a bath… *sighs*

Not a lot of action really in this chapter. Just an introduction chapter… with a twist towards the end! I know it's short, but this is more of an introductory chapter and plot setter more than anything!

Any ways, onto the story!

Disclaimer: I own squat except for my OCs and the DVDs/Cassettes.

* * *

"Stupid good for nothing… why the frag does this stuff always happen to me… slaggin' Mother Nature… 'little mid-February storm' my arse… it's a fraggin' _BLIZZARD_…"

A young girl grumbled and snarled under her breath as she made her way to the barely visible two-story house. She was clad in a thick blue Columbia coat, boot-cut jeans, black mid-calf boots, and had her ever present blue baseball cap. A large, blue nebula themed backpack rested on her back. Of course, not a lot of her outfit was visible from the amount of snow covering her.

The girl cursed as one of her feet caught on the porch steps, nearly sending her sprawling. Thankfully, a blue mittened hand caught the railing, so she was able to stand upright.

"Grrrr… stupid ice… hate it… fraggin' excuse for water…"

The girl continued to grumble and snarl as she stomped up to the doorway, shaking off some snow as she did. Fumbling with her coat pocket, she pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door. Stepping inside, she let out a relieved sigh as she closed and locked the door behind her.

Sliding the bag off her back, she then proceeded to peel off the snow covered layers. Once all the outer clothes were off, there was only a 5' 10", blue-eyed girl with blonde and blue striped hair, wearing a light pink sweater and soaked blue jeans.

She groaned, pulling on the wet fabric with a grimace. "Aw man…"

Moving towards the stairs, she expertly avoided the white cat that tried to trip her as it rubbed against her legs. As she did, a buzzing came from her pocket. Pulling out her blue iPhone, the girl answered "Hello?"

_"Hi sweetie."_

She smiled. "Hi Mom," dodging the cat as she made her way up, she added "I'm home."

There was some chuckling on the other end. _"Just making sure sweet pea. With the weather the way it is and all."_

The girl snorted at that. "Uh huh. Called for a small storm off of Lake Ontario and we get a flippin' blizzard."

_"Emma…"_ There was a warning in that tone.

"Sorry Mom." The girl, Emma, apologized as she got to the top of the stairs.

There was a sigh. _"I know this has been a rough couple of months for you, but…"_

Emma smiled, entering her room. "It's fine Mom. It's in the past, and I'm okay now. Besides," she moved towards her dresser, opening it and pulling out a pair of black track pants, "you needed the promotion. I'm fine with being home alone for a couple of days."

_"If you're sure-"_

"Yes Mom." Emma interrupted in semi-exasperation, taking the phone away from her ear and pressing the speaker button. "Just focus on your work. The sooner you're done the sooner you can come home, right?"

She could hear her mom chuckle on the other end. _"All right all right. Just checking sweetie. Last time-"_

"-Was last time, I know. But don't worry about it!" Pulling off the wet jeans, she said, "And this time, I'm keeping the cat _inside_."

_"Okay, I just worry about you."_

Emma smiled, pulling on the track pants. "I know that Mom."

_"I know you do sweetie."_

She smiled, looking down at her sweater and deciding to change it into something more comfortable. "Love you Mom."

_"Call if you need anything. Even if-!"_

"_Mom…_" The girl groaned.

Her mom gave an amused chuckle. _"I love you to sweetie."_

There was a click as her mother hung up. Emma gave a weak chuckle, sliding the phone into her pant pocket while opening the dresser a second time and pulling out a blue and white t-shirt. Pulling off her sweater, she exposed multiple scars - like large scratches - lining her back under her clothe white sports bra. The largest scar sat on her left shoulder, going from just next to her neck down to the bottom of her shoulder blade.

Emma pulled the shirt on, wincing a little as she moved her still-sore left shoulder. She adjusted the tee, before walking over and grabbing her blue and white zipper hoodie. Slipping it on, she made her way back downstairs.

"Time to get started on my homework…" she muttered, already dreading the history essay that lay ahead of her. _I hate weekend homework…_

* * *

Emma leaned back into the couch with a sigh, staring at the time. _Six already? No wonder I'm hungry._

Standing up, she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a loud yawn as she did so. Trudging into the kitchen, she opened the fridge - and yelped when a white form materialized between her legs. "_Sparks!_"

The white cat meowed, looking up at her with big, blue eyes.

Emma just rolled her eyes, pushing the cat back with her foot. "No."

Looking in the fridge, she grinned at the sight of a blue-topped clear container filled with a brown liquid. Inside the liquid were different sized chunks of potato, meat and carrots. "Ah… nothing like Mom's homemade turkey soup after a long day."

Pulling the soup out of the fridge, Emma set it on the counter before moving to the cupboard. Within minutes she had a bowl in the microwave, and was placing the container back in the fridge. Standing up, she checked that there was no cat around her before closing the fridge door. However, as she turned the girl yelped as she was promptly tripped by a certain feline.

"_Damn it-!_"

Emma cursed as she chased the cat off, scowling as Sparks vanished down the basement stairs in a white streak. Giving off a huff, the girl turned to the cupboard, pulling out a tin of cat food. "And here I was getting her food…" she muttered irritatedly, "blasted fuzzball…"

As she finished dishing out a portion of the tin, the timer on the microwave went off. Rolling her eyes, Emma placed the can in a circular container made for this purpose, before sticking it in the fridge. She then gathered up her cutlery with one hand while opening the microwave and pulling out the now-steaming soup with the other.

Making her way into the living room, the girl set the soup and cutlery down on a TV tray. Standing up, she looked over at the Flatscreen TV as a thought made its way into her head.

_Well… it wouldn't hurt to take a break as I eat…_ She rationalized with herself.

Emma turned to a low, wide bookshelf that sat below the TV. Crouching before it, she skimmed through the different DVDs and cassettes that lined the shelves. _Hmm… let's see…_

Her finger paused over a DVD. _I can watch __Pacific Rim__…_

The finger then moved over to a cassette. _Or I could watch __The Seventh Brother__… no…_

Scowling, she continued to skim through the different movies. …_2012__… __The Lion King__… __Mary Poppins__… __Pokemon: The Power of One__…_

The list went on, until her finger froze over one. _Web of Shadows__? _She stared for a moment, before shaking her head. "Even if I watch it, it would still be inaccurate." Emma muttered to herself. "Not to mention I _lived_ it!"

Moving past the DVD, she bypassed The Legend Reborn and Legends of Metru Nui. However, her finger stopped over the fourth movie in the set. _Mask of Light__? Eh. Why not?_

With that, she pulled out the DVD and placed it in the player.

* * *

_"Ta-Koro's gone, Lewa." The red form kneeling at the edge of the lava lake said, sadness in his tone. "Buried by the very lava that sustained it."_

_The Toa of Fire had turned his head enough to face his green brother, but exposed the nasty, green scratch on the left side of his mask. Gali gasped at the sight, and the Toa of Water kneeled next to her fiery brother. _

_"Tahu…" She gently placed her hand on the injured side of his face, only to have it slapped away._

_"You worry about _scratches_?" The red Toa scowled. "My village is _gone_!" The anger in him faded from his voice as he added "Your power was nothing. My power… was nothing." His mask took on a solemn look - one of defeat. _

_Tahu looked down for a moment, before moving to stand. Once he had, Lewa placed a hand on his shoulder. _

_"We are same hearted brother,"_ _the Toa of Air said, "and that heart will-"_

_~I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter… Dancing through the fire~_

Emma jumped at the unexpected ringtone, cursing as she scrambled to grab her phone. She caught it before the fourth verse, quickly answering it even as she paused the movie.

"Hello?"

_"Emmy! I need your help!"_

Emma leaned back with a groan at the nickname. "What is it Emily?"

There was a fair amount of panic in the answer. _"I'm stuck on my chemistry homework!"_

"And you didn't call Rebecca?" The girl asked, standing up to bring her half-eaten soup to the microwave.

_"I got her voicemail. Three times."_

The dual haired girl resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. _Of all the blasted times…_ "And you can't call Jack _or_ Caitlin."

_"Nope!"_ Emily chirped.

Emma let out a defeated sigh, setting the soup in the microwave and then sat against the counter. "Alright, what's the problem?"

_"Well… I'm confused on how the different elements need a certain number of protons…"_

The thirteen year old leaned back, listening as Emily described her problem.

* * *

Emma trudged back into the living room, now reheated soup in hand. After setting the bowl down, she promptly allowed herself to collapse onto the couch. Running a hand down her face, she muttered "If I ever hear or see another problem having to do with scientific elements, I'm chucking my phone out the nearest window."

After a minute, she sat upright, moving behind the TV tray and grabbing the remote. _Maybe this time I can get to the good parts… _before_ being interrupted._

* * *

The girl leaned forwards in her seat, watching with wide eyes as the on-screen Matoran stood their ground against the Rahkshi.

_"We're trapped," Takua gasped._

_"But not helpless," Jaller pointed out as he readied his blade, moving to stand back to back with his friend. _

_Suddenly three torches from above began to light up one by one, blinding the Rahkshi. The two Matoran looked up and saw three figures standing atop the Kini. _

_"Toa!" Takua cried out. "Great! You can get us out of here." _

_But when the Toa jumped down onto the platform, they did something unexpected. Instead of grabbing the Matoran and making a break for it, the three circled them protectively._

_"We are _done_ running." Tahu growled as he, Gali, and Lewa readied their respective weapons._

_Just then, the ground began to shake a little. _

_"What's that?!" Takua yipped._

_His answer came when a hand popped out from the sand beneath them. Soon, a massive hole had formed and out came three more Toa, also ready for battle. _

_"Brothers, we thought we lost you." Gali greeted, relieved that Pohatu and Onua were alive._

_"And you might've," Onua grinned, "if it weren't for our icy friend."_

_The mentioned Toa, Kopaka, gave a small smile at that._

_"Now! As one!" The Toa of Stone proclaimed._

_The Toa connected their tools and Tahu activated his mask power, willing a force field to form around the entire group. In time as well, as the Rahkshi fired a combined blast of energy at them. _

_"We will not be broken."_

Emma grinned as she watched Toa Lewa and Toa Tahu combine their powers to turn a twister of sand into a prison of glass. But as she watched the on-screen Toa of Water tell the two Rahkshi off, she jumped as a loud crash came from the kitchen.

"What the frag-!"

Pausing the movie - again! - and leaping to her feet, the girl darted into the dining room. When she entered, she promptly froze as she took in the scene.

Her blue eyed, white cat was perched atop the table, fluffy tail twitching as she cocked her head at the human girl. Around her paws were bits of dirt. And on the floor, shattered to pieces, was the remains of a brightly painted clay pot. The aloe vera that had lived in it now lay in a nearby pile of dirt.

"Oh no…" Emma gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. Shock that then quickly turned to anger. "_SPARKS!_" She roared.

The cat booked it, leaping off the table seconds before the girl's hands could grab her. "Get back here you stinkin' little-!"

Emma cursed as she chased Sparks through the dining room and into the living room. The cat attempted to dart towards the stairs, but that failed when a slipper landed in front of her. Sparks' claws scratched against the wood floor as she swerved, before darting up and onto the back of the couch.

The girl lunged at her cat, only to face-plant as the cat leaped again. Emma yelped as claws partially dug into her back, Sparks using her as a ramp. "Oy-!"

She twisted around, sending the cat tumbling. The girl lunged again, only to slip and lose her balance. She crashed to the ground with a yelp, rolling a bit from the momentum. Emma lay there for a moment, dazed, before she pushed herself up and looked around for the now-vanished cat.

"When I get my hands on you…" She grumbled, snarling some nasty words under her breath, and stomped into the dining room.

There was no sign of Sparks, but Emma could see the remains of the pot. She took a deep breath in, before letting out a sigh. "Well, better get this cleaned up…"

* * *

Emma wiped her brow as she finished placing the - thankfully - still living plant on a high self. It now sat in a bowl, with the surviving dirt packed around it.

"Okay," she mumbled to the plant, standing back, "that should keep you safe while I get a new pot."

Trudging to the front door, she - after glancing at her still soaked boots - slipped on her running shoes. She also put on her cap, to try to keep any snowflakes from getting in her eyes. Emma made her way back into the kitchen, glancing left and right. When she saw no sign of a certain cat, she strode up to the back door.

But just as she opened it, shivering at the blast of chilly air, something white shot between her legs.

"What the-?! _SPARKS! No!_" Emma cried in dismay, watching as the cat unintentionally blended into the blizzard. _Of all the blasted times-!_

Now with a much higher priority than getting a new pot, the girl growled as she began to trudge through the snow. She shivered violently as a string gust nearly blew her over, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. "Sparks! _SPARKS!_ Here kitty kitty kitty!" She called to no avail.

Staring into the white abyss that covered her backyard, she scowled. "Fine! You wanna play it this way, then _game on_."

Emma turned to go back to the house, with every intent on waiting for the cat to come back on her own - only to find the she couldn't _see_ her house.

"What the heck?!" The girl gawked, taking a few steps forwards. But as she kept moving, she came across no house, tree, or even the blasted fence.

Emma turned again, but all she could see was the blinding white of the blizzard. Even shielding her eyes from the storm did nothing.

"SPARKS!" She called again, more out of desperation than anything. Could she have she somehow have inadvertently left the yard?

The girl took another step forwards, ready to call out again… when the ground _vanished from beneath her feet_. "Holy-!"

The world around her vanished into black.

* * *

In a dark cavern, a black form stirred. At first, the massive being was confused by the wave of energy that passed through him. But after a moment, a savage grin crossed his rusted face. "So… after all this time, you finally return…"

He chuckled darkly, his claw-like hand curling into a fist. "This time, little organic, you and the accursed Toa will be unable to stop me…"

His evil laughter echoed throughout the cavern.

* * *

Emma could feel the sensation of falling, and yet it seemed as though she barely moved at all in the near-familiar black abyss that surrounded her. Then, out of nowhere, there was a bright burst of colour, and the girl found herself tumbling onto a soft green ground.

"Ow…" she groaned as she laid there. _Soft green ground… grass?!_ She shot up with a gasp - and stared at her surroundings.

Trees, many stories tall, stretched above her into a green canopy of leaves and vines encircling a bright blue sky. All around her was a grassy plain - a break in the trees. She could hear birds chirping, along with a faint breeze in the leaves above her.

"W…Where am I?" She asked in shock more than anything. _Could I really be back? Or is this a dream?_

Her answer came when a form, who had been watching her from the bushes, suddenly sprung out at her. Emma yelped as she was bowled over by something mechanical in a flash of light brown and grey. Just as she moved her arms up in defence, something metallic and distinctly wet ran up the side of her face. _What in-?!_

With a grunt, she was able to push her 'attacker' off of her, and the girl gawked at the large, crab-like bio-mechanical creature. The crab barked at her, clicking its claws excitedly as its tongue lolled. Before Emma could protest, she got another 'lick attack' from the crab.

Only this time, she laughed. "Okay, okay!" The thirteen year old gently pushed the crab back, snickering, "You like me, I get it!" Emma gently stroked the side of the crab's face, chuckling as her hand got licked. "Awe… aren't you sweet? I wonder," the girl looked around, "do you have an owner?"

Emma then looked up as she heard a shout in the distance.

_"Pewku! Here Pewku!"_

The girl stiffened in shock, looking in the direction of the voice - and stared as a red coloured figure just over two feet tall with a blue masked face burst from the bushes.

"_Takua?!_" She gasped.

The Ta-Matoran stared back with equal surprise. "_Emma?!_"

* * *

A/N - And there you go! The first (true) chapter of my second book. Not a long one, no, but enough of an enticing introduction, eh?

I had _SOOOOO_ many people calling for Emma's return to the island. Luckily for them, I was already planning on bringing her back. I mean, I did say there _was_ going to be a second book and all…

So Emma is reunited with Takua - after meeting Pewku. I just love that ussal crab, so I figured, why not?

As for why Emma chased Sparks… let's just say what happened in the house was based on true events. The aloe vera was a birthday gift for my Mom, and I painted the pot myself. Then my cat had to go and knock it off the table five months later. Like, come on!

…The cat was lucky the plant survived, because if it hadn't, I would have chucked her into the nearest snowbank.

And we have a dark form plotting against Emma! I bet you all know who it _is_~ ;D

Also, I HIGHLY recommend checking out my one-shot series! Called _A Series of Moments: Bionicle Edition_, it actually holds some key points about Emma and her past, and her _future_! The third Shot actually is very emotional, and gives some insight into her psyche.

For those who don't know, I have a poll posted on my profile page. It's for later on, but feel free to check it out!

Next Chapter: Reunions and Panic


	4. Chapter 2 - Reunions and Panic

A/N - Hey everyone! Chapter 2 here!

Things get a little emotional this chapter, but considering how close my OC got to certain characters, it really shouldn't be a surprise. And she is going to be herself, _sooooo_… yeah.

Also, in my view the Matoran villages are a lot closer than they are portrayed in the main canon. So don't be surprised by there being mentions of say, Ko-Matoran in Onu-Koro or Le-Matoran in Ga-Koro. Just giving you guys a bit of a heads up.

I was asked by the reviewer 'ss': "p,s. What part of the storie-movie is it?"

My answer: post-Bohrok Kal, pre Mask of Light.

I thought that was obvious, but I guess I was wrong. Glad I could help clear that up for you 'ss'.

To any new readers, hi! I really hope that you are enjoying this story so far. Please, leave a review and tell me what you think! (But no flames please. Those aren't nice)

And if you are from the far off future, what do you think of my OC's beginning so far? _Hint hint_.

Now, this chapter isn't a long one - again - but the length of the chapters may - _hopefully_ \- increase as time passes. Don't worry, as this story has become my top priority! (I hit a roadblock with the other.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Just my OC, and currently the plot.

* * *

_A few minutes prior…_

Takua yelped as both the ground _and_ the air shook. There was a faint rumble in the distance, which made even the thick trees of Le-Wahi tremble. "What in-?! Pewku _no_!"

The Ta-Matoran gave chase as his rahi companion took off. He soon lost sight of the ussal crab, but thankfully he could still follow her trail.

"Pewku!" He called out, running down the freshly stomped path. "Here Pewku!"

Takua pushed his way through some bushes, ready to call out again - only to freeze in shock at the scene before him.

Pewku, his ussal crab was there all right, but with the last person he ever thought he would see again.

"_Takua?!_" The organic bipedal gasped.

He was equally surprised. "_Emma?!_"

The two stared at each other for a long moment, before the girl held out her arms with a teary smile. "Hey."

The Ta-Matoran didn't hesitate to rush into her arms with a happy cry. Emma cradled his much smaller form close to her chest, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks. Takua was no better off, holding onto her and crying.

"I-I t-thought you w-were g-g-gone!" The Matoran sobbed, fisting her jacket.

The girl just held him closer. "A-And I-I t-thought I w-would n-n-never s-s-see you a-a-again!"

The two hugged tightly, and probably wouldn't have stopped if not for a certain ussal crab. Both reunited friends were bowled over as Pewku immediately tried to get in on the snuggles.

"_Pewku!_" Takua cried out in dismay.

Emma laughed. "Oh dear."

The crab barked happily, giving the two each a lick before scuttling back.

The girl smiled, standing up and pulling her friend to his feet. "Is she always like this?"

"Unfortunately." The Matoran said, but smiled and patted the rahi's shell. "But I wouldn't change her for the world."

He got his mask licked and dislodged in response.

Emma laughed. Kneeling down, she gently scratched the ussal crab behind her eye stalks. Pewku let out a content purr, kneeling down and practically slumping.

Takua refitted his blue Pakari, shaking his head in amusement. "She's a special ussal. If a little annoying at times." He gave the rahi a mock glare.

Pewku ignored him, completely relaxed as the girl continued to scratch her.

Emma snickered. "I don't think she cares right now."

The girl then felt Takua's hand grab her own, and she gently squeezed it. "I know I've been gone for a while," she said, turning to face her Ta-Matoran friend, who was staring up at her with teary eyes, "and I will do my best to make up for lost time."

The two shared a second hug.

* * *

The two friends walked side by side down a path, talking and catching up with each other. Well, Takua was sitting on Pewku's back, but still.

Emma absently twirled a long branch in her hands. It wasn't perfectly straight, had a knot at one end, and the bark was rough on her glove-free hands, but it was something. Her jacket was now tied to her waist, as the jungle was rather warm. "So, you were heading to Le-Koro?" She asked curiously.

The Ta-Matoran nodded. "Yeah. I was actually just passing through when you… arrived…" He noticed that the girl had frozen, her stance tense. "Uh… Emma-"

"_Shh!_" Her neck was tingling with a familiar feeling. A warning sense.

"There's something wrong." Emma said, holding up the stick defensively. Her instincts were _screaming_ danger. "Takua, Pewku, get behind me."

As the crab and her passenger skittered behind her, the girl looked around, tense. At first everything was silent. And not the good type, like the calm before a storm.

Then she heard the growl.

"_Shi_…" Emma gasped, watching as a _massive _black and yellow, tiger-like bio-mechanical creature stalked out of the ferns.

It let out a ferocious roar.

"_RUN!_" The girl cried out, and with an aggressive cry charged the Muaka.

The massive cat was not expecting this, and back-pedalled a bit. Emma took the opportunity, and lunged at the rahi.

"Back! Back!" She shouted, waving the stick at the cat's face.

The massive bio-mechanical feline hissed at her, and with a single swipe of its massive paw sent her stumbling back with a hiss of her own. The stick was knocked from her grip, and the girl grabbed her left arm, which now had two shallow yet wide cuts. Emma scrambled back as the Muaka closed in, red, glowing eyes narrowed at her.

"Emma!" A panicked voice called from behind her.

The girl turned, and cried out when she saw Takua standing on Pewku, not far behind her. Her heart dropped into her stomach. "_Takua, no!_"

A shadow dropped over her, and before she could react a massive claw slammed onto her chest, sending her to the ground. Emma gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, and she could see her own fear-filled face in its glowing eyes. _Oh my God… I'm gonna die…_ the girl thought with terror, _I FAILED. And now… Mom, Takua, everyone… I'm sorry…_

The Muaka raised its other claw, and Emma closed her arctic blue eyes, a single tear trailing down her cheek…

"Not today, Muaka-beast!" A voice called out.

What felt like a massive gust of wind swept over her, and the weight on her chest vanished. A loud crash followed by something retreating sounded from somewhere to her left, and she scrambled back instinctively as she heard something land before her.

"Easy-calm, little-fighter…" The same voice said, and a mechanical hand gently touched her shoulder. Opening her eyes, Emma saw a large, lime-green and silver coloured figure kneeling before her. His bioluminescent orange-yellow eyes were filled with concern. "You are okay-safe now."

The girl took in a deep breath, nodding silently. Her breathing was heavy, and her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

The Toa - because she _recognized_ him - gently squeezed her shoulder, and with his other hand gently picked up her injured arm. She hissed in pain.

"Sorry!" He yipped, but didn't let go. "I just wanted to quick-check your wound."

"It… It's fine." Emma said, gently pulling her arm from him. "Just a couple of scratches. No biggie."

The Toa opened his mouth, like he was going to say something, when a shout came from the bushes.

"Emma!" Takua cried, bursting out and wrapping his arms around her chest. Pewku skittered up behind him.

The girl bit her tongue, swallowing her shout from the burst of pain in her ribs. She managed a shaky smile, and patted the Matoran's head with her right hand. "I'm okay Takua." She comforted, her voice a little hoarse. "Thanks to him."

It was at that moment that the Ta-Matoran noticed the tall green form. "Toa Lewa!" He gasped. "I-I didn't see you!"

The Toa of Air smiled, and gently patted Takua's head. "It's okay-fine, little-chronicler." He looked at the two of them. "You were lucky this Toa-Hero was wind-flying by when the Muaka-cat roared. Those rahi-beasts are very bad-dangerous."

As Takua stood back, Lewa stood, helping Emma to her feet. "You were very brave, young-fighter." He said, placing a hand on her back. "It takes much strength-courage to stand up to one."

The girl gave weak smile and shrugged. "It was nothing. I protect my friends, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Lewa simply nodded, though he looked a little puzzled. "Well, we'd best get-go to Le-Koro. No telling if the Muaka-beast comes back."

The young girl and the Matoran nodded, and the Toa offered to "wind-fly" them there. However…

"No, I… I'd rather we walk there." Emma said, looking away and holding her arm. "Takua says it isn't far, so it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I know the way."

With that, she began to stride down the path, leaving the two behind her. Lewa looked down at Takua, but the Matoran was just staring at the girl. Neither noticed the grimace that crossed her face, or how she stumbled slightly.

_What…?_ Emma held a hand to her chest, but felt relief when the strange felling passed. _What in the world was that?_

* * *

They were just meters from the base of Le-Koro when the three heard the sound of buzzing - or rather, very rapid wingbeats. Looking up, they watched as a Gukko bird came flying down, with a familiar turquoise and lime green Matoran sitting on its back.

The girl immediately recognized him. "_Kongu…_" Emma gasped.

The Le-Matoran made his own sound of surprise when he saw her, and quickly moved to settle his Gukko ride on the ground before them. He then half-fell half-scrambled off of the bird, and once he was on the ground he careened into the girl's legs.

"_You're back you're back you're here you're okay-fine we great-missed you…!_" Kongu rambled tearily into her black track pants.

Emma smiled sadly, and gently laid her right hand on the top of his head. "I'm back Kongu. It's okay."

That seemed to calm him down somewhat, as the Le-Matoran stepped back. But his mask was alit with happiness, and he began to ramble again, only this time in excitement. "This is great-amazing everyone is going to be so happy-excited and-!"

"Alright!" The girl laughed, and gently removed her hand from where she had placed it over his mouth to stop him. "I get it! You're happy and I _know_ the others are going to be." Then, she knelt down and pulled the Le-Matoran into a hug. "And I missed you too."

He hugged her back, and after a moment, Emma pulled away, smiling. "Now, let's go let everyone know."

Kongu nodded excitedly, grabbing her right hand and dragging her towards where the village elevators were. His Gukko eagerly followed behind, as did an excited Takua and Pewku. The two Matoran and girl chattered excitedly the rest of the way, leaving a very confused Lewa to follow behind.

When they arrived at the village base, the two Le-Matoran guards at first tensed, but the second they saw Emma they started chattering excitedly.

The words "Emma's back!" and "She's back!" began to echo around, and looking up into the trees brought the village's base bridges - and the Matoran peeking over - into view. The Le-Matoran guards who stood there looked very excited to see her again. The girl raised her hand in a wave, hiding her wince, and they excitedly waved back, making her chuckle.

Looking back, Emma noticed Lewa's very confused look. She gave the Toa a sheepish smile, asking "Are you going to head up?"

That seemed to jolt him out of his thoughts, and he nodded quickly. "I will, once you all get-go safely."

The girl chuckled and nodded back, understanding his reasoning. "Good thinking." She commented. Lewa grinned back.

Takua and Pewku were quickly escorted over to one of the seed elevators, while Kongu guided Emma over to his Gukko. They both knew that the pods were too small for her, and trying to climb the tree trunks would be tricky for her. The girl climbed on the bird, looking a little nervous.

The Le-Matoran took notice. "You okay-fine Emma-friend?" He asked in concern.

The girl looked away for a moment, before looking back at him with a small smile. "Just… a little nervous Kongu, since it's been so long." She reassured. "But it's no big deal." However, there was no hiding the spark of fear in her eyes.

As much as he wanted to say something, the Gukko rider knew that Emma had acted similarly when he first encountered her, after they were brought to the island. Though last he remembered, she had gotten better over the time she had spent with them… before vanishing in such a horrible way. Even as he nodded, and signalled his Gukko to rise, the Le-Matoran wondered if something had happened to her after she returned to her home.

_I great-hope nothing nasty-bad happened to her,_ Kongu thought as they rose above the base bridges and closer towards where the main village was, _she's a good close-friend, and our great-honorary Toa-hero._

As they rose higher, Emma fought down her fear as she _refused _to look down. _I forgot how much I hate heights. Doesn't help that the village is now much HIGHER than it used to be!_ She kept her gaze upwards, and felt a little relief as the main area fo the village came into view. Le-Koro sat high in the treetops, mostly hidden from view by branches and large leaves - which now hid the _very far down_ ground from sight, like a second floor. _At least I'll soon have my feet on something solid._

As Kongu guided his Gukko over to what appeared to be stalls on a higher platform, the girl took the time to glance around. She could see many Matoran - mainly Le-Matoran, as well as some Ga-Matoran and even a handful of Po-Matoran - had very excited looks on their faces when they spotted her, though the younger ones looked confused. The young human couldn't blame them, as she knew instinctively that she had left _long_ before they had come.

Emma hid her joyous relief as the Gukko landed on the platform, and she tried not to look rushed as she slid off. _Solid ground at last!_

Almost instantly, several Matoran, many who she recognized from her time with them, swarmed her, all talking excitedly. She noticed some who had been only children when she had last seen them, and they had wide, curious/excited eyes. The girl laughed, and greeted as many as she could - though not all by name. However, there was one familiar face the girl did not see in the crowd.

"Kongu, where's Glidre?" She asked, not seeing the Le-Matoran who had led the Gukko Air Force when she had lived here.

The Gukko rider looked down, as did many of the other Matoran. Emma didn't have to be a physic to know what that meant.

"He brave-perished fighting a swarm of ever-bad Nui Rama." A very familiar aged voice answered sadly. "He left the Gukko Force in Kongu's good-great hands."

Turning her head, Emma's breath caught in her throat when she spotted who spoke. A hunched green figure, over a foot taller than the surrounding Matoran, hobbled forwards. His robe, faded and a little torn with age, still had faint coloured stains from a long ago prank. "_M…Matau…_" Tears pricked her arctic blue eyes.

The Turaga of Air smiled, his own orange eyes misted. "It's good-wonderful to see you again, little Emma-sister."

The girl let out a choked cry, rushing forwards, falling on her knees and fiercely embracing her brother. The green Turaga hugged back with as much force as the girl, holding back his own choked cry. The two just held onto each other, tears sliding down their faces, silently basking in the other's presence. The world around them became meaningless, as though it was just them for that moment of time.

Of course, it had to end. When they pulled back, both were smiling sadly, but also happily. Matau gently reached up to her faintly scarred cheek, and wiped away some tears with his thumb. "We great-missed you, little _gi_."

Emma placed her hand on top of his, holding it to her cheek. "I missed you too." She whispered, letting her forehead rest on top of his mask for a brief moment.

Then when the girl pulled back, the Turaga chuckled. "I see you have quick-grown a bit."

The girl flushed, making a small sound. "I only grew an inch…" she muttered.

He raised a brow, and Emma sighed. "Okay, maybe a bit more than that." She admitted. It was true, as where she had once stood at 5'9, she now stood another inch and a half, almost three quarters, taller. She now stood just over 5 feet 10 1/2 inches.

The girl then took his hand away from her cheek, holding it between them. "I think you have a lot to tell me about, don't you brother?" She asked, diverting the subject.

Matau nodded.

* * *

Emma sat back on her mat, trying not to drop the tea in her hands. "_One thousand years…?!_" She half-cried, biting back a groan.

Matau nodded, looking down from where he sat on his mat. "Yes. That was how long-gone you were."

The girl let her head lightly hit the wooden wall behind her with a faint _thump_. "And to think that for me it was only _six months_…"

The two reunited siblings sat on separate mats in the Turaga's hut. It was a room carved into one of the village's massive tree trunks, with holes carved for two small windows and a door. All three were covered with colourfully decorated cloth, which still let in lots of light. The hut wasn't too big, or too small, though if Emma stood she would have to duck her head. There was a small cot towards the back, with a desk beside it and shelving carved into the walls. Little nicknacks such as small rocks and carvings sat on the shelves, along with some stone tablets and a few other things.

The Turaga of Air sighed, but reached forwards with his free hand, resting it on her knee. "All that good-matters is that you're here-back now. Nothing else."

Emma weakly smiled back, taking a sip of the tea her brother had made. It was warm, bridging on hot, but not unpleasant. The taste was not overly sweet, but not bland either. It reminded her of a warm glass of sugary water, with a bit of a fruity taste. Her brother had made it just the way she liked it. "Thank you, brother. For the tea…" she grinned sheepishly "_and_ for not whacking me in the head for the stunt I pulled."

Matau laughed, having to set his tea down so he didn't drop it. "Now why would I do that?" He grinned, picking up his staff and winking at her. "Though I may have a sneak-prank in mind, for that bad-scare."

However, the green elder got no response. "Emma?" He asked with concern, noticing how the girl held her head with her free hand.

"I…" Her head felt funny, as did her heart. "I… I don…" Whatever she was going to say was left unknown, as the girl's eyes suddenly rolled back. Matau cried out in a panic, scrambling to his feet as his sister collapsed, the tea falling from her limp hand and spilling across the floor.

"Emma! _EMMA!_"

The world went black.

* * *

Deep underground, the dark form stood, red eyes glinting. "So, after one thousand years not only does the organic return, but she _lives_…" Turning, the monstrous form looked down at the kneeling form below him. "What else have you seen, my servant?"

The form wreathed in shadows bowed his head. "As I have said master, she attempted to stop the Muaka you sent, but before it could kill her the Toa of Air intervened."

A rusted, clawed hand rested on a pillar-like canister, which glowed with a sickly green light. "Was she at least scratched?"

The servant nodded. "Yes, master. On her left arm."

The dark being chuckled darkly. "_Excellent…_"

Inside the canister, a worm-like form squirmed.

* * *

A/N - And here we go! Cliffhanger, I know, but what better way to end a chapter?

So, something really crazy just happened in this chapter, a dark form is plotting, and now you'll have to wait until next week to see what happens next!

Until next time!

Next Chapter - The Same, Yet Not


	5. Chapter 3 - The Same, Yet Not

A/N - And welcome back! Please, don't be mad about the cliffhanger last chapter! It was - sadly - a necessary evil, and - spoiler - important for the overall plot.

I will remind you, Emma has _no_ idea about her statue in Ta-Koro. She doesn't even know yet if the Toa were told about her. So her wondering if the Turaga kept the Toa in the dark about her shouldn't be that big of a surprise.

I'm trying to keep the characters in line with how their personalities are displayed. If I do make a small mistake, please don't be too upset!

Since I have been asked nicely a couple times, I'm just gonna give you guys a bit of a timeline for my story so far.

Book 1: Arc 1 (Occurs during and after the movie _Legends of Metru Nui_)

Book 1: Arc 2 (Occurs during and after the movie _Web of Shadows_)

Book 2: Arc 1 (Occurs **BEFORE** the movie _Mask of Light_, but **AFTER** the comic saga of the Bohrok Kal.)

So basically this book (Book 2 Arc 1) is set before the first Bionicle movie, but after the Toa Mata have become the Toa Nuva and defeated the Bohrok Kal. So it is not part of the movie - at least, not until the next arc (*spoiler!*).

And don't worry 'ss'. I understand. These things happen, and I'm glad that I could help you understand. ;)

Disclaimer: I own squat except for the current plot and my OC(s)

* * *

Vakama found himself once again standing before a familiar statue. It was no longer located in the Koro's main square, if only because the main area had been moved after the Bohrok attacks due to the damage suffered here. The statue was amazingly untouched, though it's once brown colouring had faded and greyed over the years. His hand rested on the platform that elevated the statue, his thumb hovering over the corner of the engraving on it. _Oh sister… I still wonder why you had to go…_

"Turaga Vakama?" A deep voice asked, cutting into his thoughts.

Turning, the red and bronze elder met eyes with the tall form who had come up behind him. "Yes, Toa Tahu?"

The red and silver form of the Toa Nuva of Fire knelt before his village leader, handing over a scroll. "One of the Le-Koro messengers brought it. Said that it was urgent."

Vakama nodded, taking the paper. They had to resort to using scrolls to send messages, as the drums they normally used were either worn or ruined. As he began to open it, the Turaga noticed Tahu's burning red-orange gaze fall on the statue. "Is there a problem Toa?"

The red Toa seemed a bit surprised, before shaking his head. "There is nothing wrong Turaga. I am just… curious that you still come here."

The elder gusted out a sigh. "Tahu, you must understand that before you and the other Nuva came to our island, this young child was our sole protector. An-"

"-An honorary Toa." The Fire Toa interrupted, ignoring the upset glare sent his way. "I know that Turaga, but-"

"_Enough_, Tahu." Vakama said sternly, and Tahu shut his mouth. The Turaga hid his sigh, and instead focused on the scroll. Unrolling it, he began to read it in silence.

The Toa watched as his Turaga's eyes went wide, his expression at first joyful before it fell into shock. "Turaga…?" He asked in concern as the scroll slipped from the elder's fingers.

Vakama seemed frozen for a moment, before he turned and began to hobble quickly away. "We must head to Le-Koro right away!" He said, his voice filled with panic.

Tahu Nuva watched, stunned as the elder headed off. Looking down at the abandoned scroll, he scooped it up. His eyes widened as he read it, before looking over at the small - to him - statue.

Now, he understood the Fire Turaga's rush.

* * *

Matau paced in front of his hut, aged hands wringing his staff. Every once in a while he would stop and stare at the cloth-covered door, listening to the whispers of the Ga-Matoran healers and another aged voice inside. A black hand rested on his shoulder, drawing his attention to the another Turaga.

"W-Whenua-b-brother…" The Air Turaga's voice shook.

The Turaga of Earth squeezed his green brother's shoulder, and gently guided him over to the side. "Nokama will keep Emma safe, Matau. Remember, she has pulled out of tougher scrapes before."

Matau just nodded, not really caring about which of his two sisters his brother referred to. He was simply too worried about the youngest of them.

A hunched brown form hobbled over, and there was no masking his concern in his voice. "Do either of you know how bad it is?" Onewa asked.

Both the other Turaga shook their heads. The Turaga of Stone sighed, bowing his head. "I feared as such."

A series of chirps and twitters sounded from the side, and a white Turaga hobbled over. Even though his translator Matoro was present, none of the three other elders needed a translation, especially with the pained expression in his Noble Matatu.

"We are all worry-scared, Nuju-brother." Matua said softly, trying to both comfort himself as well as his icy brother. "We just have to h-hope everyt-thing will be s-sure-fine." The green Turaga bit back his own fear.

The Turaga of Ice twittered softly, bowing his head with a small tear falling down his mask.

"Now," Whenua said, clutching his staff while he tried to keep his brothers calm, "all we can do is wait for Vakama to arrive."

* * *

Five Toa Nuva stood on a nearby adjacent platform, now waiting for their fiery brother to arrive.

"So," Pohatu asked, trying to keep up conversation, "anyone know why the Turaga are so upset?"

Lewa nodded. "It has to do with the strange-weird small-creature who recently appeared. Young fire-chronicler knew her, as did many Matoran."

Kopaka, the most recent to arrive, raised a brow. "You mean the one that Turaga talk about from time to time? I thought she was gone."

The Air Toa shook his head. "Apparently not, as I had to quick-save her and the chronicler from a Muaka-beast."

Gali frowned, her healing instincts kicking in. "Was she all right?" The Water Toa inquired. "Being attacked by a Muaka, even briefly, can still result in injuries."

Lewa nodded. "She seemed ever-fine at first - even declined a wind-fly to the village." His expression became solemn then. "But it was much-later when wise-Turaga came out of his hut, crying for quick-help."

"What exactly happened with the Muaka?" Onua asked curiously. "Was she running from it?"

The green Toa shook his head. "No. From what little fire-chronicler said, she brave-rushed the Muaka-beast with only a branch-twig."

The Toa fell silent, mulling over this new information. They all knew of the island's first protector and honorary Toa - there _was_ a statue of her in Ta-Koro - but they had no actual knowledge of who she really was. To hear that she - a small organic - had rushed a _Muaka_ of all rahi, even to protect someone, was rather startling.

There was a small commotion, and looking over they saw Tahu striding over. Behind their fiery brother the five could also see Turaga Vakama quickly hobbling over to his fellow elders.

Lewa was quick to greet him. "Ever-good to see you again, fire-brother!" He held out his fist.

The Toa of Fire just brushed him off, crossing his arms and looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Anyone want to fill me in?" He scowled.

The other five Toa shared a look, inwardly cringing. Tahu was in another of his bad moods. This would _not_ end well.

* * *

_She was soaring, soaring so high that the ground was hidden by the fluffy white clouds. Reaching out a hand, her fingers skimmed them, leaving trails of white vapour behind. Raising her head, she rose higher and higher. The wind blew through her hair, running across her face. _

_There was no fear or panic. She felt only peace and joy. As though up here, with the twin suns shining on her face, she had no worries. She was, for the first time in forever, free._

_Reaching the height of her ascent, she felt something tuck against her back, before she dived down. She fell through the clouds, and when she emerged from them, a trail of vapour followed behind her. Below her was a large island, divided into five visible different ecosystems. _

_Something on her back flared open, and soon she was soaring over the island. She wove around thick trees covered in green, flew around snowy mountains, and skirted the edge of a large desert. _

_As she flew over a large bay, she dipped her hand into the cool water. Her fingers left a trail of ripples behind her, distorting her reflection, but she could make out her blue and white clothing. Small, bio-mechanical fish-like creatures followed her hand, and she giggled as one brushed against a finger._

_Soon, she was flying over a barren, volcanic landscape, with a large volcano rising on the horizon. A massive lava lake came into her vision, with an equally massive fortress sitting in the middle of it. Seeing the red, black and bronze inhabitants, she raised her hand in a wave as she soared past. _

_Then, she was rising upwards again, leaving the island behind her. She cut through the clouds again, and above her she could see the stars fading into view as the suns set._

_As she hovered there, gazing up at the small, twinkling lights, her eyes were drawn to a tiny, gold star shining brightly._

_"__Never forget this feeling." A voice said, and she could feel a presence come up beside her. But as much as she wanted to turn to him, she could not tear her gaze from the star._

_"__There will be times of darkness ahead, but you must always hold onto hope." He continued, and she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "You will face great peril, but you must remain strong."_

_The gold star was growing in brightness, becoming almost as bright as a sun. She felt drawn to it, and started to rise higher, leaving his grip and reaching out towards it._

_"__You must fight with the fierceness of a storm." The voice continued. "With the swiftness of lightning, and the strength of thunder." His voice began to fade as she continued to rise higher. "But never forget about the safety light can bring, and always stay true to yourself."_

_As she neared the glowing light in the sky, she heard the voice say one, last, thing._

_"__You will do many things, see many things. You will suffer pain and loss, joy and love. But _never_ forget this feeling of freedom. When you face your darkest times, remember it, cherish it, and never let it go." His voice, though faint, was filled with an emotion she could not place, yet felt similar to… affection? "You are more than a child, young one. _Never_ forget that."_

_She touched the light from the star, and a soothing sensation washed over her. Her eyes slid shut, and she fell into a relaxing, peaceful blackness._

When she came around, she could feel that she was laying on something soft, with something warm draped over her. As she became more aware of what was around her, she could hear faint voices talking.

Then came an aching feeling, like she had been hit by a bus. She let out an involuntary groan.

"Emma?"

Blinking open her eyes, the girl managed a weak grin at the familiar blue mask hovering over her. "Hey… Nokama…" She coughed, her throat feeling a little raw.

The Turaga of Water let out a sound of relief, gently laying a hand against the girl's face. "Thank Mata Nui you're all right…"

Emma moved to sit up, only to fall back weakly with a groan as the ache flared. "What happened?" She coughed again.

Nokama held up a small bowl of water to the girl's lips. "You fainted." The Turaga said as her sister eagerly sipped the cool liquid. "Almost gave Matau a heart attack."

The girl winced as the bowl was pulled away. "Sorry? I hope he's okay."

The blue Turaga gave the girl a stern look, but another voice spoke. "Maybe next time you shouldn't hide your injuries."

Emma looked over, and grimaced when she saw the other five elders standing in the doorway. Vakama, Matau, Whenua, Nuju and Onewa all stood there. "Uh… hi?" She squeaked.

Vakama hobbled forwards, his gaze filled with disappointment as he continued to scold her. "Emma, how many times must we tell you not to hide this from us?!"

The girl looked away, muttering "It's not that bad…"

Now Nokama looked upset. "'Not that bad'?!" The Turaga of Water repeated in disbelief. "Your ribs were bruised and your arm was badly cut! You're _lucky_ it wasn't worse!"

Emma closed her eyes, tears pricking them. "I'm sorry… I just… I just didn't want to bother anyone…" She felt so bad for upsetting them like this.

There were several sighs, but a hand gently rested on her cheek. Opening her eyes, the girl now saw that the others were gathered around her, with the Turaga of Fire having his hand there. "You are _not_ a burden little sister, and you _never_ will be." He said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Please, don't be scared to tell _any _one of us these things."

Looking around at the six of them, the thirteen year old could see that their eyes were filled with concern… concern, and love. For her. Sniffing, the girl could no longer hold back her tears, and she tried to reach out to them. "I-I missed you guys…"

The six Turaga gave their own teary smiles, and either held her hand or just laid one on her shoulders. No words were needed. The seven reunited siblings were just very happy to be reunited.

They all held onto each other for a long time, just focusing on being together again. Then, Vakama chuckled, gently waving a finger at the girl. "By the way Emma, you are _grounded_ for that stunt you pulled with Nivawk."

The Turaga all shared a laugh as the girl groaned. "_Aw man…_" But she smiled anyway. She was just happy to be back. Back home.

She was so happy, that she forgot all about her strange dream.

* * *

It was three days later when Emma was free to leave the hut - under strict warning to not push herself. The girl decided to wander around, and take in the - to her - new version of Le-Koro. A couple of Matoran waved at her, and she smiled and waved back, careful to use her right hand instead of her left. As she walked away, the girl absently rubbed the bandaged appendage, careful not to pull on it. After a bit, she came to a more quiet area, and sat on one of the bridges.

"A bula berry for your deep-thought?" A voice asked.

Emma jolted a bit, before registering who had said it. "Oh. Uh, thanks." The girl said, and took the offered green, apple-sized berry from the Toa. "Lewa, right?"

The Toa of Air nodded, sitting beside her. "Yes, and you are young Emma-hero, correct?" He grinned at her.

The girl let out a small laugh, settling back with the berry. "I wouldn't call myself a hero per say…"

Lewa gave her a look, raising a brow. "You brave-charged a Muaka-beast to protect a close-friend. You are very great-worthy of that."

Emma sighed, taking a bite of the sweet fruit. Swallowing, she said, "To be honest, that was more of instinct actually. From what I heard, you and the other Toa were the ones who stopped the Bohrok Swarms _and_ Makuta, not me." Looking down, she absently swung her feet. "I was safe on my own world, while my friends here were fighting for their very lives. I'm no hero, just a kid."

A hand rested on her shoulder, and the girl turned to look at the Toa. He smiled at her, giving her shoulder a small squeeze. "You may be small-child, but you are big-hearted." He held out his fist.

The thirteen year old stared for a moment, before smiling and returning the fist bump. "Thanks, Lewa."

The Toa of Air chuckled. "Now, what is your home-world like?"

Emma let out a laugh, feeling much more relaxed than she did before. "Well, my world is a _lot_ more than just an island…"

* * *

"_So_," Emma asked as she walked with Lewa, "where are we going?"

The Toa grinned. "To meet-greet my Toa-brothers."

The girl stared at him, honestly a little surprised. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Yep! They are eager-happy to meet you!"

At that she raised a brow. "Really?"

Lewa nodded at first, before stopping and shrugging. "Well, maybe not Tahu-Brother. He has a temper bad-worse than hot-lava!"

Emma could only let out a snort in response. "I don't doubt it."

It wasn't long after that, that the two came to a platform. Five tall forms stood there, all much taller than the girl. The brown one came over, with a grin on his face. "Lewa!" He greeted warmly.

"Pohatu-brother!" The green Toa grinned back, and the two shared a fist bump.

The Toa of Stone noticed the relatively small human standing beside the green Toa, and smiled warmly at her. "And you must be Emma! It's great to finally meet you." He held out his hand. "Pohatu, Toa Nuva of Stone."

The girl smiled back, and shook his hand. "It's great to meet you as well."

Pohatu laughed, laying an arm around her shoulder. "Well, just wait till you meet the others!" With that he guided her over to the others.

He didn't notice her involuntary flinch at the contact.

While Emma was warmly greeted by the other Toa, she noticed that only Tahu remained aloof. Heck, _Kopaka_ had given her a simple nod in greeting, but the lack of response from the Toa of Fire felt a _lot_ colder. His eyes were narrowed at her, as though she was more of an enemy than a friend. Deciding that it would be better to not confront him about his obvious dislike of her, the girl focused more on talking with the other Toa.

After all, they were all protectors the same island, right?

Right.

* * *

Emma was sitting on the edge of a platform near the Gukko stalls, watching the Matoran moving about below her. The other five Toa had left with their respective elders - to which the girl was a little upset over, but she bit her tongue. She knew that they had their own villages to watch over, and that she would most definitely see her siblings again in time.

Below her, she could see that the Matoran were setting up another 'Le-Matoran style' party - in honour of her return, as she heard. Though Emma will admit rather adamantly, that she had tried to tell them that she _didn't_ need one.

It was like talking to a thick, deaf steel wall.

As she sat back with a sigh and eye roll, a familiar and unwanted tingle rippled through the back of her neck. Immediately she was up on her feet, arctic blue eyes scanning the area.

A nearby Le-Matoran noticed her movements. "What-?"

"_Shh!_" The girl shushed.

At first, everything was silent. No Matoran spoke, as though they sensed the danger themselves. Off to the side, she could see Lewa tense, pulling out one of his katana. The jungle was silent, like the calm before the storm.

Then came the buzzing.

"_Rama!_" A guard shouted, and an alarm began to resound throughout the village.

Spinning around, Emma nearly froze when she saw the massive, black swarm of the large insect-like rahi heading their way through the trees. Several Le-Matoran rushed past her, pilots and seconds mounting their Gukkos and taking to the air. Looking down at the platforms below her, she could see the non-fighting Matoran running for cover. One of them, a child, suddenly slipped, and tumbled off of a bridge and fell onto one of the safety nets with a loud cry.

The girl acted on instinct, leaping off of the platform, grabbing a hanging vine and climbing down. At the end of the vine she dropped a good couple meters, landing on the net and startling the small Le-Matoran.

"It's okay!" Emma held her hands out, even as her legs shook trying to keep her balance on the net. "I'm a friend. It's okay." Making her way over, she gently picked him up and held him to her chest. "You're okay now," she comforted, gently rubbing his back, "it's going to be okay."

After a moment, he shakily fisted her shirt, sobbing softly. "O-Okay…"

The sounds of battle rang above them, and the girl stumbled across the net to a nearby tree. Shifting the little Matoran, Emma gently coaxed him to hold onto her neck. Once he had a decent grip, the thirteen year old grabbed onto the bark and began to make her way up.

About a minute into her climb did her 'Danger Sense', as she was beginning to call it, went off. Emma threw herself and her young passenger off of the tree, avoiding a Nui Rama stinger.

The child started wailing, and the girl grimaced as she landed hard on her right shoulder. She rolled across the platform to reduce the impact, holding the bundle to her chest protectively. Scrambling to her feet, the human darted for one of the huts, where she could see a couple of brown Matoran waving at her frantically.

Emma dove inside, the curtains swishing closed behind her. Looking around, she could see three Le-Matoran - two of them children - and two Ga-Matoran, huddling towards the back. In front of them were the two Po-Matoran who waved her over, standing protectively with tools in their hands.

"Are you all right?" The girl asked, kneeling before the seven of them.

One of the Po-Matoran, coloured light brown and grey, nodded. "Yes. We were able to escape here safely."

A loud crash sounded from outside, startling them. Passing the very scared child to one of the blue villagers, the girl peeked around the curtain doorway. Outside, Emma could see that one of the Gukko's had crashed, and now lay on its side, unmoving. She could see a Le-Matoran who was most likely the pilot laying nearby, but no sign of the second.

Acting quickly, she darted out of the hut and towards the downed Matoran. The girl was able to grab him and pull him out of the way just in time, as another Nui Rama landed just where he had been. As she booked it back towards the hut, she heard a shout. Looking down, the thirteen year old saw the Matoran second tangled up in a hanging vine by his foot. The rahi that had tried to grab the pilot was now focused on the other Matoran.

Emma bit back a sharp curse, sliding into the hut again. "Watch him." She ordered, laying the pilot down before running back out.

The girl quickly jumped off of the platform, grabbing onto another vine and sliding down. She could see the Nui Rama buzzing around the vines, closing in on the panicking second.

_Not today Buggy!_ Emma thought angrily, placing her legs against a trunk. Pushing off, she swung herself around, and with a yell, landed a double kick to the Nui Rama's head. The massive bug screeched, and flew off in an uncoordinated manner.

The girl then jumped off of the vine, grabbing onto the one the Matoran second was caught on. Using her momentum, she swung the two of them to a nearby platform. Emma grunted a bit as she landed, but kept her footing and focused on the Le-Matoran.

"Hold on," she said, bending down and beginning to untangle the vine from his foot, "I'll get you out if here."

He nodded, and within moments she had his foot freed from the vine. Loud buzzing came from overhead, and Emma quickly scooped him up, making a beeline for a nearby hut. She was almost there when something careened into her back, sending her sprawling.

The girl made a small sound of pain as she tumbled, but held the Matoran close. Pushing herself up, she set the Le-Matoran down, glancing up and glaring at the rahi buzzing around.

"Get into the hut," Emma ordered, pulling herself to her feet, "I'll deal with the Rama."

The second nodded, and darted towards the hut. Turning, the girl narrowed her eyes as the rahi buzzed around. It dived bombed her again, but the girl ducked, grimacing as it buzzed past. It flew upwards, before diving around and under the platform she stood on. As the rahi flew out under from the wood, she raced after it. Acting purely on instinct, the girl lunged off of the platform… and _onto the bug's back._

The Rama made a loud, ear-grating screech, and began to fly around wildly. Emma yipped, and found herself clinging onto the rahi's back with all her might. It flew left, right, up, down, even upside down, but she never let go. Grunting, the girl pulled herself forwards up to the head, where she was a mere foot from its large, buggy eyes.

Emma did not hesitate to slam her fist into one.

The reaction was instantaneous. The Nui Rama screamed, falling into an uncontrolled dive. The girl was thrown off, crashing hard onto one of the vine nets while the bug slammed into a trunk.

She groaned, her ears ringing as she laid there, dazed. For a moment, Emma forgot where she was, blinking wildly.

Then she looked down.

"Oh my God…!" The girl gasped, grabbing at the vine net in a panic. _Too high too high TOO HIGH! _"No _nonononono_…!" She panicked.

Something landed near her, jolting the rope. Emma yipped, grabbing onto the vines in fright and kicking her legs - and felt something wrap around one. Her panic increased further, and she began to struggle even more, only for whatever was holding onto her leg to tighten.

"Easy! Easy…" A voice said, a hand resting on her back. "The bad-rahi are gone. It's ever-safe now."

Emma turned her head, feeling relief flood her system. "L-Lewa…"

The Toa smiled comfortingly, reaching up and rubbing her shoulder. "I got you, Emma-friend. Just relax-calm."

The girl let out a shaky breath, trying to keep her gaze on the Toa. "O-Okay."

With that, Lewa shifted back, and began to unwrap the vine that had tangled around her leg. Once she was free, he helped her up, but the net shook as she stood. Emma yipped in fright, grabbing onto the Toa of Air in a fearful grip.

He quickly held onto her, keeping her stable. "Afraid-scared?" He asked, glancing down.

She nodded, pushing her head into his chest.

Lewa gently patted her back, before picking the girl up. "Just hold quick-tight." He instructed calmly. "We'll be on hard-solid ground soon."

Emma's grip on him tightened, and the Toa moved his arms so that he was holding onto her lower back. Once he had a good grip on her, he activated his Miru Nuva. The girl made a frightened sound as the two rose up. He rubbed her back comfortingly, and with his air powers he gently pulled her over to the nearest platform.

The girl squeaked when they landed, and she stumbled back as the mask power faded. Lewa caught her, steadying her form. "I gotcha… easy-steady…"

"T-Thanks…" Emma said, righting her footing.

The Toa lightly clapped her on the back, smiling. "No, thank you."

The girl blinked in confusion. "What?"

He smiled, guiding her over towards a hut. "You were brave-fierce. Never has this Toa-Hero seen such a young-fighter quick-pounce a Rama!"

Emma stared at Lewa for a moment, before she smiled sheepishly. "Uh… thanks." The girl then stumbled with pained groan. "And there goes the adrenaline…"

Lewa was quick to catch her as her legs nearly gave out from under her. The Toa then helped the girl over to the hut, and by the time he had gotten her onto the cot, the thirteen year old was already half-asleep. The green Toa examined the girl carefully, and felt relief when he saw no visible injury.

"Rest, young-fighter." Lewa gently tucked the girl in, resting a hand on the side of her face. "You deserve it."

Emma smiled tiredly at him, before yawning and falling asleep. Satisfied, the Toa crept out of the hut, waving over a few healers to double check on the sleeping girl. Glancing around, the green Toa was relieved to see the villagers pulling their home together now that the attack was over. Even still, he looked to the sky, orange-yellow bioluminescent eyes narrowed. Something about the attack had felt off, like there was a darker force behind it.

Lewa didn't like it. Not one bit.

* * *

In the dark cavern, the servant watched as the tall form chuckled darkly. "Master?" He asked, confused.

The monstrous form turned, glowing red eyes gleaming. "Though we may have not been able to take her out this time, there will still be plenty of chances to do so." He laid a clawed hand on one of the canisters, watching the worm-like creature inside it squirm. "Even though she has been infected, I will _not_ take any chances of her being able to survive again." The claws grated against the covering. "Prepare for the next assault."

"Of course, Master Makuta."

* * *

A/N - Now we can start to get into the good stuff! And just to remind you, Emma has always had fear of heights. If you read my previous two books, you would have seen that.

We know now who the dark being is, but I can see that you guys already know who he is! Yes, the Makuta has returned, but who is his servant? He he… this will be interesting! And they are planning against the young girl, so things are gonna get crazy!

Anyways, the reason why Emma and Lewa get along so well at the first meet is because the Le-Toa's very open and welcoming, so it should really be no surprise. As for Tahu… we all know his personality. Hot headed, stubborn, loner… he and Emma are gonna butt heads for a while.

So, even though this chapter wasn't very long, it was certainly filled with some key plot points. Try to find them, because they will be vital in the future!

And of course, we have that mysterious dream. Can you guys guess what it signifies? (It is - *spoiler!* - an important hint!)

I also want to let you guys know that I completed my training, and now I am a certified camp instructor! I'm not sure when I'll get my on-site training or when I will begin to actually work, but I'll let you know when I am, because that will affect my writing time.

Until next time!

Next chapter - Fiery Welcome


	6. Chapter 4 - Fiery Welcome

A/N - Hi! I'm _baaaaack!_ Yahoo!

Okay, I'm going to get right to it and give you guys a big warning. There is going to be some emotional stress in this chapter, and even what could be considered bullying. I'm not going to spoil it for you guys, but I felt that a heads up would be a good idea. And I bet we can all guess who the poor victim is going to be… :(

Just to remind you guys, I'm trying to update this on a weekly basis. I believe that I already told you readers that, but if not, well, now I have. (So - hopefully - seven days in the future I'll update again)

Anyways, onto the - rather long - chapter! (It's almost twice as long as the previous chapter!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Only my OC and the current plot.

* * *

When she saw the massive fortress rising before her, Emma was fairly sure her jaw hit the ground. "_Whoa…_"

Beside her, Takua chuckled, grinning up at her. "I told you it was big."

The thirteen year old nodded dumbly, absolutely thunderstruck. When the girl had left Le-Koro that morning with her Ta-Matoran friend, she had asked about what Ta-Koro was like. He only smirked in return, saying that it was now a massive fortress.

He hadn't been kidding.

Takua laughed, and he and Pewku took off across the stone bridge. "Slowpoke!" He called back teasingly.

Emma blinked, before quickly shaking her head, and with a small, mock cry of anger took off after him. "Oh no you don't!" She laughed.

The two friends raced the rest of the way to the village, smiling and laughing.

The girl whooped as she passed Takua, beating him to the large stone entrance. "Ha! Now who's the slowpoke?" She did a small happy dance in victory.

The Ta-Matoran made a sound of disappointment, but his eyes were filled with mirth. "Oh well." He shrugged, biting back a grin. "At least I'm not doing a stupid dance."

Emma froze with one foot in the air, before she glared and made a face at her friend. She opened her mouth to say something back, but another voice interrupted them.

"It seems as though you are feeling much better now, little sister." The familiar form of Turaga Vakama hobbled up to the two, a small smile on his mask. "Though your footwork could use some practice." He grinned.

The girl flushed bright red in embarrassment, setting her foot down and rubbing the back of her head. "Uh… hi?" Her face only turned redder as the elder laughed.

Hobbling up, Vakama placed a hand on her arm. "Welcome home, Toa Emma."

She smiled down at her brother as he guided her into the village, waving Takua goodbye as he and Pewku diverted off for the Matoran's own hut. As the girl walked through the village, several Matoran cried out in greeting. Emma smiled, waving and calling back a greeting to them.

"So much has changed." She said softly, taking in the medieval theme of Ta-Koro. "Everything seems so…" She trailed off.

"Different?" Vakama finished, glancing up at her with knowing eyes. "Yes, much has changed since you were last here."

"I'll say." Emma could still remember the massive stone island, covered in make-shift tents and half-built huts. To see the Village of Fire complete, in real life and not on a movie screen, was quite breathtaking. Everything had this warm, orange glow to it from the lava lake that surrounded and protected the village. It was rather nice here, even if she did have to roll up her track pants into makeshift capris because of the heat.

But hey, who else could say that they lived on a stone island situated in the middle of a lava lake at the base of a massive volcano?

The Fire Turaga led her over to a larger stone hut, where he had to push the wooden door open. Emma followed in after her brother, ducking her head as she did. The girl had to blink her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting, and she could see that the hut was a decent size. There was a fireplace towards the rear, with shelves built on either side of it. The shelves had a mixture of stone tablets, scrolls, and _Kanoka_ disks sitting on them, along with a few nicknacks and that. Off against the right wall was a desk area, which had more scrolls, ink, and other materials, as well as a few copper coloured masks and tools. On the left side of the hut was a cot, with a few blankets folded beside it. A decent sized mat lay on the floor, along with a few tools and more disks. All in all, the hut was a very well lived in and welcoming place.

Vakama started up a small fire in the fireplace, which gave the room a warm glow. "I do apologize for the mess. I have been preparing for the upcoming lava-surfing competition and have not yet had a chance to tidy up."

Emma smiled, settling down near the cot. "It's fine brother. Trust me, my room back home tends to look like a mini-tornado blew through it most of the time." She chuckled sheepishly.

The Turaga laughed, scooping up and setting some of the scattered tools on his desk. "Knowing you, I am not very surprised."

The girl immaturely stuck her tongue out at him, but she couldn't hold back her grin. She missed being able to tease with him.

The thirteen year old offered to help him clean up, but the elder declined. It wasn't long before the hut was tidied up any ways, and the fire had now grown much larger, filling the room with more light and warmth. Emma noticed Vakama pull something off of the desk, and when he walked over to her with it she could not hold back a gasp. "My crystal…"

Sure enough, it was the very crystal Nuju had given her back when they had been on the massive airships, so long ago. It now hung from a chain of silver protodermis much like her Translation Stone did, but instead of the bright blue colour it once had, it was now an ash grey.

"Yes," the Fire Turaga said, holding it out, "though for reasons unknown, it lost its colour not long after you left."

Emma reached out, her fingers hovering over the crystal. "Like it's connected to me in some way…" she muttered. After a moment, she picked it up out of her brother's hand.

What happened next was quite a shock. The second her fingers had grasped it, the crystal flashed with a brilliant white light. Both Turaga and girl were forced to shield their eyes from the blinding glow. It lasted for only a few seconds, but when it faded and they could see again, the two were stunned.

The crystal, which had been blue when first found, then grey after she left, was now shining with a brilliant yellow-gold colour.

"Whoa…" Emma breathed, examining it.

Vakama could only nod in shocked silence.

After a moment, the girl placed the crystal around her neck, where it sat next to her ever-present Translation Stone. It seemed to glow as she did so, but if it did then the glow had quickly faded.

Now with the crystal in its proper place, the girl leaned over and hugged her brother. "Thank you big brother, for keeping it safe."

The Turaga hugged her back. "You are welcome little sister."

Emma spent the rest of the late afternoon with her brother, enjoying catching up with him. The two swapped stories back and forth, with the girl learning that Alkar, as well as other older Matoran she had known had also sadly passed on while she had been away. The girl bowed her head in silent mourning, and Vakama squeezed her hand in comfort.

After that, they continued to swap tales, until a knock came at the door.

The two stood up, and the Turaga hobbled over to it. Opening it, Emma grinned at the sight of a familiar gold-masked Matoran. "Jaller!"

The Ta-Matoran grinned and waved at her in greeting, before turning his attention to the smiling Turaga. "It is almost time for tonight's meal and story sharing, Turaga." He informed.

The girl raised a brow at this, intrigued. "'Story sharing'?" She echoed.

Vakama glanced back at her, before nodding in thanks to the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard. "Thank you for the reminder, Captain Jaller."

The Matoran saluted and left, leaving the Turaga to close the door. When he turned back, Emma had now crossed her arms over her chest. "And when did you become such a storyteller?" She grinned.

"Hush you." Vakama scoffed, hobbling past her, reaching for a few scrolls.

The girl laughed, leaning over and carefully scooping up the papers before he could. "Awe… my big brother is finally telling stories to others."

The Turaga scowled at her, holding out his hand. "Emma, give those back."

She grinned teasingly down at him. "But if you're a storyteller, why do you need scrolls? I didn't think you were _that_ old."

With surprising agility and speed, Vakama tackled his younger sister to the ground. The girl yelped, before bursting out laughing as he tickled her. "N-Nohohoho f-f-fair-air-air! Hahaha!" She squealed, dropping the scrolls as he hit a sensitive spot on her upper back. "_B-B-Broth-th-th-ther! _Hehehehehe!"

The Turaga chuckled, still tickling her with one hand while he used his staff to pull over the scrolls. "Not so 'old' now, am I?" He smirked.

Emma snorted and squeaked, trying to wiggle away from him without knocking anything over. "I-I-I give-ve-ve! Hehehe! S-S-Sorry-he-he-he!"

Vakama grinned, pulling back. The girl heaved in air, letting out a few remaining sniggers. Chuckling, he helped her up after she had gotten her breath back, and the two sat next to each other.

"You…" Emma panted out, a grin on her face from laughing, "_stink_."

He laughed. "If you say so…"

The two shared a look, before bursting out laughing. It was nice to be able to act like this with each other again.

* * *

That night, Emma sat next to Vakama, legs half-crossed. The two sat at the head of a large circle, with a crowd of Ta-Matoran sitting in front of them. Situated in front of them was a large fire, which illuminated the area with warm, flickering orange-yellow light. Above their heads the sky darkened as night fell, with Bota rising on the horizon.

The elder was spinning a tale about a lava surfer named "Lhii" - who the girl strongly suspected was based on Toa Lhikan - riding down the Tren Krom Break, trying to be fast enough to warn his village of the impending eruption. The Turaga moved his hands about as he told the tale, drawing them into the story.

The girl listened with rapt attention, absently chewing on the meat that had been handed out as dinner. She silently admitted that Vakama had gotten _good_ with his story telling over the years she had been gone.

"-however, just as the rider made it to the end of the Break, a loud rumble echoed throughout the ground. Stumbling, Lhii ran as fast as he could, crying out a warning to the nearby Matoran. 'The Volcano is going to erupt!' He cried, waving his arms frantically. But before the Matoran could do anything-"

Emma jumped with everyone else as the fire suddenly flared, for a brief moment looking like an exploding volcano.

"-the Volcano erupted with an explosive force, sending shockwaves throughout the entire island." The Turaga continued, biting back his mischievous smile as he made the fire flare again, causing everyone to jump a second time. "Lhii, realizing he had been too late in warning the village, began to help with the evacuation as best he could."

Emma leaned forwards in anticipation, listening as Vakama went on with how "Lhii" bravely decided to head back up the slope. The surfer had seen some loose rock on the way down, and he figured that if he could dislodge them, he could divert the impending lava flow. As she silently wondered where her brother got the idea for this story, she felt like someone was staring at her.

Turning her head, the girl met eyes with the Toa Nuva of Fire. Tahu sat a good distance back, close enough to hear the tale but far enough back to seem uninterested. After a long moment of simply staring at each other, Emma turned her head away. She chose to ignore the eight foot tall form, but even as she tried to focus on her brother's story, she could still feel the piercing gaze on her back

_What's his problem?_ The girl thought to herself, taking a rather savage bite of her meat in frustration. _I've done nothing to deserve this treatment. At least, I hope not…_

Swallowing, she glanced back at Tahu again. His red-orange eyes were narrowed at her, and instead of just looking, she glared back with equal intensity, going as far as to bear her teeth. It seemed to take him by surprise, as the Toa's eyes widened. After a long moment of glaring at the Fire Toa, she let out an inaudible snort, turning away and focusing back on her brother's story.

Vakama hid his sigh as he continued his tale, watching his little sister out of the corner of his eye. He had a feeling that the Toa of Fire and human girl were not going to get along, and this only confirmed it.

_I do not need a vision to know that conflict is going to be inevitable. _The Turaga thought to himself. _I can only pray that they learn to get along before something terrible happens._

He could only hope.

* * *

The days passed, and Emma adjusted quickly to life in the busy village. She often pitched in when she could, whether it was carrying tools, moving objects, even helping to transport solidified magma. The girl enjoyed watching as the Ta-Matoran would craft their tools and masks from imported metal and kanoka disks. Of course, she would occasionally get bored and wander off, but the Matoran had no qualms with that. Sometimes she would also join the Ta-Koro Guard in training, though she would not stay long. More often than not, she would hang out with Takua or Jaller, depending on whether Vakama was busy or not. With the upcoming lava-surfing competition, her brother usually was.

At this moment, the girl was helping a couple of Ta-Matoran set up for that very event. The three were hauling up the different boards to the Tren Krom Break, where below she could see the large lava lake sitting within the seemingly endless crack. Further up were a series of stands, where the viewing Matoran could sit and watch. Along with the stands were some small benches set closer to the molten beach, and the girl could see the Matoran surfers getting ready by them.

"I still can't believe that you guys do _this_ for fun." Emma grunted, hefting up the boards in her arms.

"Hey, it's actually a lot of fun." The red and black Ta-Matoran beside her said, luging his own boards.

The girl snorted. "If you consider falling into molten rock and being melted alive 'fun'." She scoffed.

The Matoran rolled his eyes, but made no retort. This was an argument the girl had made with many Ta-Matoran, if only because she was concerned for their safety.

"We'll be fine." The other Matoran placated, struggling to hold up the two boards in his arms. "We've done this before, and we've had very little incidents with this."

"If you say so…" Emma sighed, adjusting the boards in her arms and quickly helping to keep the red and bronze form from loosing his footing. "Watch your step Fualt. Don't need you falling in before the contest."

The first Ta-Matoran snorted. "He could trip over a pebble the size of a- Ack!"

Fualt and Emma bit back their laughter as the black and red form tripped, dropping his boards and mask-planting the ash covered ground.

"What was that about tripping Teahi?" She snickered out, crouching next to him.

The Matoran grumbled something into the ground, before pushing himself to his feet. His two companions had to bite their tongues when they saw how the front of him was completely black except for his orange eyes. He coughed, sending up a small cloud of ash, and moved to dust himself off. The red and black Matoran was thankfully a good sport, and only rolled his eyes as the two finally laughed. "Ha ha. Laugh at the guy who trips. How funny." He reached over to pick up his dropped boards, and was surprised when the girl held them up to him.

"Dropped these?" Emma asked, holding back her amusement.

Teahi scoffed, taking the boards and hefting them up. He continued on without a word, trying to ignore the snickers from behind him.

"W-We'd best follow him." Fualt said, struggling to re-contain his laughter. "We still need to deliver these."

The girl nodded, and the two quickly raced to catch up to their companion. They easily caught up to him, and spent the next minute of their trip chattering away with each other.

Emma leaned the boards she had been carrying against a rock, before glancing back at the two Ta-Matoran. "Is this it?" She asked.

Fualt nodded. "Yep! That was the last haul." He then made a sound of disappointment when his stack of boards toppled over.

Teahi rolled his eyes, shaking his head in exasperated amusement. Patting the girl's arm, he said, "You'd better check in with Jaller. He's looking for you. I'll handle the mess here."

Nodding, Emma stood up and strode away, biting back a laugh as she heard a loud smack followed by a yelp. She nimbly ducked under a rocky outcropping, her arctic blue eyes scanning the ash covered plain for the gold-masked Matoran. The number of Matoran - mainly Ta, with a few others - had increased significantly since she had come up with her last load of boards.

After asking a Matoran where the Captain of the Guard was, she began to cross the plain. The girl agilely made her way through the growing crowd, saying a few greetings and a quick apology as she stepped over someone. By the time she had made her way to the other side of the plain, a voice called out to her in greeting.

"Toa Emma!" Jaller called out, a grin on his face as he spotted the human from his perch on an old wall.

She grinned back, quickening her pace now that she didn't have to watch out for any 'moving pylons'. "Hey Jaller."

The Captain of the Ta-Koro smiled down as his friend scrambled up the rock to sit beside him. Once Emma was comfortably situated besides him, she glanced down at him. "I heard you were looking for me."

Jaller nodded with a small hum, reaching back and pulling something very long out of his subspace. He chuckled at the stunned look on the girl's face. "Just wanted to give you something that we had crafted just for you."

Emma gingerly took the long, staff-like object from the Ta-Matoran. "You… you guys made me a new weapon?" She asked in shock, lightly running her thumb against the blunt side of the blade tied to one end.

The Captain grinned. "Since you came here without one, it needed to be rectified." He then held out a looped strap with a tube attached to part of it.

Emma took the makeshift holster - since she had no subspace unlike her Bionicle friends - and slid it over her right shoulder. Once it was situated with the tube sitting on her back and the strap running diagonally across her, she slid the newly crafted spear into its holster. Then, the girl leaned down and hugged her friend. "Thank you, Jaller."

The Ta-Matoran hugged her back, gently patting her arm. "We missed you, you know?"

The girl chuckled as she pulled back. "I gathered."

A loud horn suddenly went off, startling the two. They tumbled off the wall with surprised yelps, and Emma was quick to twist so that her back took the brunt of the fall. "You okay?" She wheezed, glancing at the stunned form now sprawled on her torso.

Jaller blinked blearily, before shaking his head. "Y-Yeah. I'm good."

"Great… now can you please get off? You're crushing my ribs."

"Sorry!" He yelped, rolling off her chest.

The girl grunted, forcing herself into a sitting position. "It's… alright." She said, rubbing her chest. "Though I will want to have a word with the Matoran who blew that horn."

Despite himself, Jaller let out a laugh. "I'm sure you will."

Emma snorted, lightly shoving her friend. "C'mon you. The only reason that blasted horn blew was because the completion is going to start soon." Grinning, she swiped her hand across the top of his head before standing up. "And last I checked, you're one of the top surfers."

The Ta-Matoran swatted at her hand, letting out a half-groan half-laugh. "Hey! Alright, I'm going!"

"Just don't break a leg, okay?" She grinned cheekily down at him.

Jaller made a face at her, and smacked her leg as she laughed.

* * *

Emma whooped, cheering loudly as the competitors neared the finish line. "GO FOR IT JALLER! GO TAKUA!"

Vakama laughed from where he sat beside her. "Emma, you know that only one of them can win."

The girl rolled her eyes. "So? I can still cheer for them both." She then let out a loud cheer as Jaller got in the lead. "GO FOR IT!" She whooped.

A loud cheer went up as the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard crossed the finish line first. Following close behind him was Takua and two other Ta-Matoran, with her blue masked friend coming in second. The riders all made their way over to the beach area, where an eager crowd greeted them.

Emma helped her brother to stand, leading him down to where the riders were waiting. But halfway there she froze mid-step, a tingling sensation rippling though her neck. Turning, her arctic blue gaze narrowed at the side of the Mangai Volcano.

The girl's actions did not go unnoticed, and Vakama turned to her. "Sister?"

Her right hand had moved up to her back, fingering the staff of her spear. "Something's off."

Footsteps came from behind her. "Is that so?" The familiar voice of Tahu asked sarcastically, and turning slightly the girl could see him standing with his arms cross.

"Yes." Emma answered a little sharply, looking back at the volcano. Wait… were those cracks on the face?

Bending her knees, she ignored the Fire Toa's scoff and pressed her left hand against the ground. Though she couldn't feel any vibrations like a Toa of Stone or Earth probably could, her Danger Sense only got stronger.

"The mountain face, it's going to collapse." Emma determined at last, standing up. "We need to clear everyone out of here, _now_."

"Oh really?" Tahu growled, glaring down at her. "And how would you know that?"

Before the girl could say anything, the ground rumbled. There was a loud cracking sound, and the volcanic face she had been staring at began to crumble.

"_Landslide!_" Someone screamed.

The Matoran began to panic, and mass fled away from the area. Emma managed to grab Vakama's hand during the chaos. "C'mon brother!" She pulled him with her as she ran for safety.

Everything happened so fast, and if anyone was to ask her, the girl would say that she could not recall. All she remembered was trying to get her brother to safety, then waking up on the ground.

Emma coughed, hacking dust out of her lungs. Blinking blearily, she looked around her. A thick layer of dust and ash filled the air, and all around her lay rocks of varying sizes. Groaning, she pushed herself up, only to discover that her left leg was caught. Turning, the girl saw that it was pinned under a couple of rocks. She yanked as hard as she could, but the rocks would not budge.

A shadow fell across her, and the girl looked up. Needless to say, she was surprised to see the Toa of Fire standing over her. "_Tahu_…"

The red form bent down, and in a single motion lifted the rocks from her leg. Emma blinked, pulling her now free leg towards her before standing up. "Uh… thanks. I guess…" She trailed off, watching as the Toa moved away.

The girl scowled at his back, before turning to survey the damage. She grimaced at all the rubble and dust around her. Then she remembered her brother.

"Vakama!" Emma cried out, looking around her in terror. She saw no sign of him, and she began to run around, screaming his name. "_TA-ANI!_ _VAKAMA!_"

* * *

For what felt like hours the thirteen year old dug through the rubble as best she could. Emma managed to uncover several trapped Matoran, including Jaller and Takua, but she could not find her brother.

As the girl shifted some rubble, she came across an object that made her heart stop. "Oh no…" Vakama's Fire Staff lay abandoned on the ash covered ground. Picking it up, she was frozen for a long moment. Then panic set it. "_No no no…!_"

Emma threw the staff behind her, before frantically beginning to dig through the rocks. "Brother! _Brother!_" Emma grabbed a large rock, and strained with all her might to move it. But despite her best efforts, she could not get it to budge. "C'mon… please…!"

She finally collapsed on top of the rock, and began to sob. She _failed_. She couldn't save him! "No… no please…!" Tears began to trail down her face, and she clung to the rubble, crying. This _couldn't _happening.

Then, she heard a voice she thought, for a brief time, that she would never hear again. "Emma?"

The girl turned, and let out a small cry when she saw a familiar red and bronze form standing behind her. "_V-Vakama!_" She wailed, throwing herself at him.

The Turaga of Fire stumbled back as his little sister wrapped her arms around him. He quickly caught his balance, and hugged her back fiercely. "Oh Emma…"

"I-I thought I l-lost you!" The girl hiccuped, burying her face into his shoulder. "W-When I c-couldn't f-find you…! B-_Brother_…!" She dissolved into helpless wails, clutching onto the older form with all her might.

Vakama comforted his younger sister as best he could, gently rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner little _gi_. But it's alright. I'm here now."

Emma took in a few deep, shuddering breaths, trying to calm down. When she was finally able to, she pulled her face from his shoulder and rested it against the Turaga's forehead. "I… I'm so…"

"Shush…" Vakama soothed, placing a hand on her cheek. "This was not your fault. You did the best you could, and I couldn't be more proud."

The two pulled away from each other, and the girl stood. "Now," the Turaga said, bending down and scooping up his staff, which lay nearby, "let us ensure that all the Matoran are safe."

* * *

Emma grunted as she managed to shove a boulder to the side, freeing some Matoran from where they had been trapped. "Go join the others." She instructed, pointing away from the disaster zone.

The girl watched as the group followed her finger, scrambling over the rubble to safety. Once she was sure that they would be okay, the thirteen year old stood and made her way opposite to that of those Matoran. She climbed through the rubble, calling out to anyone who could still be trapped.

Faint banging caught Emma's attention, drawing her over to a pile of debris. _"Hey! Under here!"_

"I'll get you out!" The girl said, and grabbed onto a large chunk. She yanked, pulled and even pushed it, but could not get the slab to budge. Grunting, she shoved as hard as she could, only to slip and face plant on the ground. The thirteen year old groaned as she pushed herself up, and blinked when a tall shadow fell over her.

"Move." Tahu grunted, before stepping over her and effortlessly shoving the rubble aside, freeing the trapped Matoran.

Emma stood up, brushing herself off. "Thanks. For the help."

"I wasn't helping you." The Toa glared down at her. "I was helping the Matoran that _you_ couldn't free."

The girl winced at the jab, before scowling at him and crossing her arms. "At least I tried. I'm not as powerful as you are."

"Exactly." The red form said, turning and walking away.

He didn't get very far. Emma grabbed his arm, whipping him around. "And what's that supposed to mean?!" She snapped.

Tahu yanked his arm away from her, eyes narrowed. He then stuck a finger at her chest. "It means that the Matoran don't need you. They have myself and the _actual_ Toa to protect them, not some stupid organic kid."

What happened next surprised everyone. Faster than the Toa could react, Emma's hand smacked the side of his mask, yelling angrily. "At least I'm not some stupid _jerk_ who thinks he's above everyone else!"

The Toa of Fire blinked in shock, before he openly snarled down at the girl. "Oh really? You're nothing but some kid who just _happens_ to miss the stuff the Matoran actually needed protection from!"

"You don't think I know that?!" The girl snapped at him, now holding her slightly stinging hand to her chest. "I didn't _want_ to leave in the first place!"

Tahu scoffed. "Well, they don't need _you_ any more, so why don't you just _leave_?!"

"If that's the case," she snarled, stomping her foot, "then why are _you_ still around, you jerk?!"

The red Toa shoved her to the side. "Because _I_ at least have a duty, and you have nothing! That's why!"

For a moment, Emma stared at Tahu's retreating back, eyes wide and brimming with tears. Then, she picked up a decent size rock, with a roar of pure anger threw it at the back of his head. "_At least I'm not an unemotional _**_FRAGGER_**_!_" She screamed, before turning and bolting towards the village, tears streaming down her face. Several Matoran called out to her, but she ignored them, and just kept running.

The Toa of Fire rubbed the back of his now sore head, staring after the girl in surprise. Out of all the reactions he had been expecting, this had not been one of them.

* * *

When Vakama returned to his hut later that day, he found his little sister kneeling inside, shoving some items - such as a lightstone - into a sack. "Emma?" He asked.

The girl looked up, revealing wet marks on her cheeks. "W-What?" She sniffed, wiping an arm under her nose.

The Turaga simply opened his arms in silent invitation. There was a choked wail, and he soon found himself with an armful of sobbing girl. "Shh… it's alright little one. It's okay…"

"W-Why?!" Emma sobbed out, gripping onto her brother's robe. "Why does he hate me?! I didn't want to leave, but-! But-!"

"I know…" Vakama soothed, holding her close and rubbing her back. "You didn't deserve this. But you're here now, and I promise that I will _never_ leave you again."

The girl just started to wail incoherently, burying her face into his shoulder. After a few minutes, the Turaga was able to guide her over to the cot, coaxing her to sit. Once she was, he pulled back, now more at an eye-level with her. His aged hands gently cupped her face, thumbs wiping away the tears.

"Oh sister…" he murmured softly, his voice having an almost rumbling edge to it.

Emma's forehead lightly rested against his bronze one, and she took a few deep, shuddering breaths. "I… I need to go." She said at last, her blue eyes meeting his red-orange ones. "I can't stay here. In the village."

For a long moment, Vakama remained at a loss for words. But as he gazed into his younger sister's eyes, he saw not only pain and hurt, but also the fierceness and determination that he knew meant one thing.

"You know that you do not need to prove yourself. Not to him, or to anyone." The Turaga said softly, almost pleadingly.

The girl's head ducked slightly, eyes glancing away briefly. "I know." She murmured, her voice almost a whisper. "But… I have to go _Ta-ani_. I need to see the island… my home, now that I'm back."

Vakama sighed, but even still a small smile formed on his face. "Very well. It would be wrong to keep you here, safe behind these walls…" He laughed as Emma shoved him slightly, letting out a whine of "_Brother…_", but there was a twinge of amusement in her voice.

"Will you at least stay the night?" The Turaga asked.

The girl gave him a weak smile, nodding. "I will." She then hugged him tightly. "Thank you, brother."

Vakama just hugged her back, rubbing the area between her shoulders soothingly. But despite knowing that she was feeling better, the Turaga could not shake the terrible feeling settling in his heart.

* * *

When morning came, Tahu watched silently, arms crossed against his broad silver chest. Below the bluff he stood on, he could see the young human saying farewell to the Matoran. Turaga Vakama then approached her, handing her a sack that she placed over her shoulder. The two then shared a brief hug, before the girl stood, turning and heading across the stone bridge.

For a moment, she stopped, looking back. The Toa stiffened as her eyes locked onto his own, her gaze narrowed, looking almost angry. But it lasted only for a second, before she turned and continued on her way, the bridge sinking protectively into the lava behind her.

For some reason or another, Tahu felt uneasy. But it wasn't just from the look, he could sense something. Something was off.

Very, _very_ off.

* * *

_Deep underground, in a shadowy lair…_

"Do you know where she is heading?" Makuta asked, his massive form facing one of the green tubes.

"Yes, master." The servant said, bowing his head. "The organic is heading for Ga-Koro, and will most likely arrive the next day."

The monstrous formed made a rumbling sound, like a hum. "Is she traveling alone?"

"She is."

The rumbling turned into a dark chuckle.

The servant cocked his head. "Master?"

"We shall let her be for now. Let her allow her guard down." The Makuta turned, his crimson eyes gleaming. "But once it is…"

His claws scraped against the canister, making the worm-like form inside squirm.

"…we _strike_."

* * *

A/N - And done!

Now, the next set of chapters are going to chronicle Emma's journey around the island, with her visiting the different villages. But with danger lurking in the shadows, there will be times when she'll have to fight for her life. I cannot say anything else with spoilers, but I guess you could say there is going to be some 'character whump' for the next while.

I also learned that the lava-surfing competition is also called the _Ignalu_. I saw that on Bionicle Wiki.

In other news, when I post chapter 7 (as in the actual named chapter) I am going to close the poll I currently have open. Reason being is that 1) I already have a good idea about the outcome of it [you can still vote if you want to!], and 2) when chapter 8 comes out, I am going to post another question for you guys, and I would like your opinion on it. If my weekly update schedule goes as planned, then in… hang on… (at chapter 4, so in 1-5, 2-6, 3-7 - Aha!) in 3 weeks I will be posting the seventh chapter and the week after that I'll post my question. Well… if everything goes to plan. Anyways, I just thought that I would give you guys a heads up!

Also, while I may be doing geology, I'm still not completely sure what a landslide disaster scene looks like. So please, bear with me if I goofed on something.

Anyone want to take a guess about the significance of the crystal?

Next Chapter - Calm Before the Storm


	7. Important Update! Please read

Hey everyone! Just a quick update for you guys, not another chapter (bummer, I know).

Here's the lowdown as to why I have not updated as of yet:

First, I had to go to campus to talk about my courses, and learned that the specialist program I wanted to do now includes Biology - which by the way, I hate more then Calculus - so I need to do a Major and two Minors. Yeah, I'm not impressed that I had to rearrange my entire fragging schedule for the coming fall term. That all happened Thursday.

Second, I came down with the flu because - thanks to my idiotic big brother - I got tossed head first into a very _VERY_ cold lake, and thus ended up sick. Thank you Al, for giving me the flu (note the heavy sarcasm) - which I _still_ have. This happened Saturday.

Thirdly, on Monday, the day I meant to post… I got my feminine time of the month. For those of you who are cocking your heads/asking why that's such a big deal, let me explain. Normally, it's no big deal, and all I need is to either sleep most of the day or take an Advil. This time… I felt like I was being stabbed in the abdomen all day (and sadly, I do know what that's like) even with the painkiller in my system.

And finally... I ended up in the hospital when my siblings and I got into an accident. Al was driving to the pharmacy to pick me up some medication, I was tagging along to pick out some cough drops, and my sister - Liz - was tagging along as Al picked her up from school. We were literally pulling into the intersection after the light turned green, when some idiot ignored the red light and slammed into the passenger side of the car - _my_ side of the car, as Liz was sitting behind Al - at speeds I'd rather _not_ know. We all lived - thank god - but the car was totalled and the dummy who rammed us is trying to sue us for "careless driving". Look in the mirror you complete and utter moron - who by the way got off with _barely a fraggin' scratch_. Thank god my uncle is a cop...

So, we ended up in the hospital, battered but alive. Al got severe whiplash and a broken wrist, Liz got several nasty cuts and moderate whiplash, and as for yours truly...

A badly bruised arm, a cracked hip bone, severe concussion and whiplash, several small lacerations, and the cherry to top it all off... a massive cut on the side of my head that nearly left me blind in my right eye.

That incident all happened Thursday, and the only reason you guys are getting this note is because I was able to convince my parents - who are absolutely furious - to bring my laptop in so I don't die of boredom.

And I'm still sick and on my cycle. Yeah, I'm not happy. In fact, I nearly pitched a fit. Several, in fact. I know that it could have been worse - I am very thankful that it wasn't - but the fact that I'm in the hospital again is just ticking me off beyond belief.

Thankfully, I now have _plenty_ of free time to finish the latest chapter. It may or may not be out by Saturday, as I need to have several more x-rays and exams to make sure I'm healing alright.

On another note, I've closed the votes on my old poll so that when I actually post my new chapter - which will be after I delete this note - I will have another new poll posted. 'ss', or Zundia as you said you like to called, to answer your question, the poll is _not_ about discontinuing the story! I am sorry to say, but even if people start to hate on this story, I will still continue it. You don't need to worry about that.

So, hopefully by Saturday - which is tomorrow?! Holy smokes! - I'll have posted. If not Saturday, then - you know what, I'll just post on Monday, and try to fix my schedule. After this past week, and how everything was thrown out of whack, some normalcy would be nice.

Okay, so now you guys know what happened, and that I will update/post the new poll on Monday. Until then you guys!


	8. Chapter 5 - Calm Before the Storm

A/N - _Heeeeeeeey! _I'm back! (Late, I know…)

So, here is the latest chapter, fresh off the printer. Hopefully the next one won't be as late - though, I am suffering a minor - MINOR - writers block. I am also still in the hospital ( Huge thanks to all who gave their concern!). So, I may be late posting. Sorry in advance! (My entire schedule has been thrown out of whack… D: )

Okay, just so you guys know, many Matoran are going to know Emma's name, even if she has not interacted with them. If you read my previous book, then you know why that is. If you haven't… well, all I'll say is that Emma - whether she knows this or not - left an impression while being on the island 1000 years ago. I mean, she _was_ their first protector/honorary Toa, and the Turaga love to tell stories…

Holy cow! 40+ reviews?! That is the most amount of reviews on any of my stories! Big shout out to everyone who reviewed/faved/followed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Only my OC(s) and the current plot.

* * *

Day had come and gone since Emma had left Ta-Koro and the region of Ta-Wahi behind her. By nightfall she had reached the edge of the more swampy area in Ga-Wahi, and had set up camp in a small, hollowed out cavern. A small fire had been set up in the middle of it, giving the cave a warm, flickering orange glow.

The girl, however, was sitting just outside, gazing up at night sky. Far, far above her head, Bara Magna filled the sky with its dull orange colour, grey and black scars and mountains marring its surface, not to mention one of the two visible, and quite massive, 'dent' she could make out that sat in the South. For a moment, her eyes scanned it's northern, sun-facing side, wondering. She knew that if the timeline went as her world saw it, that the barren world above her head would one day be a revived, whole, lush paradise.

_But will I ever get to see it?_ She thought to herself, absently chewing on a strip of the jerky her brother had packed for her. _For all I know, this could turn out like that 'Kingdom' storyline, or something worse_. Swallowing, she let out a sigh. Knowing a potential future stank. Majorly.

Leaning back, Emma let her arctic eyes wander across the northern equatorial surface that she could see. Sighing again, the girl let her eyes drift across the planet's massive surface. Would she still be alive when it was revived? Would she be there, present at all? Would she be there when Mata Nui eventually landed there, or would she go with the Toa after Makuta took over?

She shuddered at that last thought. Emma knew that in order for Spheres Magna to be restored, and for the Bionicle to be truly free, that that, that _monster_ would need to be the victor for a while. The thought of her friends - _family_ \- suffering under his reign made her insides coil. Could she really keep such a big secret from them, knowing the consequences?

The girl lay her arm over her eyes, feeling tears prick them. Despite knowing the uselessness behind it, she said a small - semi-desperate - prayer. "Please, whatever higher being out there who hears this, give me the strength to survive the challenges ahead. To guide me down the path of what's right."

As soon as she finished speaking, a cool, soft breeze washed over her. A sense of peace settled in her chest, and Emma's body relaxed. Whether it was a sort of divine comfort, or a simple coincidence, she felt much better than she did before.

The girl finished up her jerky, and took a big sip from her canteen. Glancing at the planet above her, she crawled back inside to settle for the night.

Far, far above, the stars twinkled on around Bara's orange glow.

* * *

_She couldn't breathe. _

_There was a hand wrapped around her throat, painfully digging sharp claws into her skin. _

_"__You will always be mine…" A dark, terrifying and all too familiar voice chuckled in her ear. _

_A shiver ran down her spine as tears pooled in her eyes. She could feel herself being held up, cold, soulless blue eyes staring down into hers. She could feel a clawed hand stoking her face, and if she didn't know any better it was gentle, almost kind. But she did._

_"__You are my beautiful little weapon," he almost purred in her ear, hand still holding her throat, "my perfect little weapon. With you, my world is all mine… all mine…"_

_His cackling echoed throughout her ears, and she could feel herself fading. The hand tightened even more, crushing her windpipe and shoving her to the ground, sending pain throughout her body. She was crushed under a massive weight, her chest constricted._

_She couldn't breathe! She couldn't breathe…!_

_"__Mine… all mine…" His cackling echoed in her ears._

* * *

Emma woke up that morning with a gasp, her chest heaving in and out as she fought for air. Her hand had flown to her neck, as if reassuring herself that there was nothing there. Nothing holding her down, cutting off her airway…

She shook her head rapidly, fighting back the panic attack. _I'm okay, I'm safe, nothing can get me now…_ She rambled in her head, focusing on the dying embers of the fire. Gusting out a sigh, the girl moved her hand to run it down her face before adjusting her hat, the other hand pushing her up.

She turned over, scooping her folded jacket/makeshift pillow up and got onto her knees. After tying the garment to her waist, Emma swung her holstered spear onto her back and double checked that she everything in her sac. Standing up while ducking her head, she gave the embers a few good stomps to make sure they were out, before exiting the cavern.

The girl narrowed her eyes against the dawn light of the twin suns, reaching up to pull her hat rim down to block the offending light. Even still, she enjoyed the warmth the suns provided, and once her eyes adjusted, gave a big stretch.

Kneeling down, the thirteen year old opened the sac, pulling out a container. The rich smell of meat hit her nostrils as she pried off the lid, and she pulled out a couple strips of jerky. She replaced the cap on the container before placing it in her bag, and swung the sac strap over her shoulder. Taking a bite of her breakfast, the girl continued on her way down the trail, the nightmare from the night before fading from her mind.

* * *

It was close to mid-day when Emma heard a commotion. Leaving the wooden plank path, she hopped across a few tree roots and a couple of rocks, and blinked at the sight before her.

Two Ga-Matoran were trying to push/lift their canoe out from where it was caught between some rocks. But even with their natural strength, with their relatively small stature and rapid flow of the river moving against them, they were unsuccessful.

"Need some help?" Emma asked, wincing slightly as the two jumped, obviously startled.

One of them, a light blue Matoran, shook her head to clear it, before nodding. "Yes, please." Her voice was bordering on desperation.

"We've been stuck here for so long," the other Matoran, coloured a darker shade, added, "we were supposed to bring the gathered plants back earlier." She gestured to the canoe, where the girl could see woven baskets sitting in the bottom.

Smiling sympathetically, the girl scrambled over. Grabbing the front base of the canoe, she, bent her knees and lifted. The canoe was thankfully lighter than it could have been, so even with the flow of the river, she was able to maneuver it safely over to where the two Matoran guided her. It was a small outcropping of flat rock, where the canoe could rest without being dragged away.

"Thank you so much!" The lighter blue one said, while her friend double checked the baskets.

Emma smiled, crouching down to be more at eye-level. "It was no problem. Just be sure to watch where you're going next time, hmm?" She grinned.

"We will!" The Ga-Matoran nodded.

At that moment to other one, who was most likely older, came over. "All the baskets are intact, as is the canoe, thank the spirits." Turning to the thirteen year old, a smile formed on her mask. "And thank you, Toa Emma."

The girl blushed, ducking her head slightly. "It was no problem. I'm just glad that I was able to lend a hand."

The dark blue Ga-Matoran seemed to think for a moment, before she gently grabbed the girl's hand. "Come, let us give you a ride."

Emma blinked, before shaking her head. "No, it's fine. You don't have to."

The Ga-Matoran gave her a look. "Please, I insist. Besides," she gestured to the path the human had come from, "you were on the path that led to Ga-Koro, and since Hiku and I were heading that way anyways, it would be no problem."

"Oh please!" The other Matoran, Hiku, chirped, violet eyes wide. "We have plenty of room, right Leah?"

Faced with the two Ga-Matoran very politely asking her, Emma let out a sigh. "Oh… alright." She couldn't hold back the grin that twitched on her lips as Hiku cheered.

* * *

The canoe ride wasn't a long one, and by the time the twin suns had reached the highest point in the sky the three had exited the river. Now they were paddling along the southern edge of Naho Bay, heading for Ga-Koro. Glancing across the water to the Northern side, the girl could see the dusty, light brown shore that was Po-Wahi

"And there it is!" Hiku chirped from the front, leaving Emma to turn her head back.

Coming around the outcropping of land, the three could see two large, stone walls erected in the water, with a small passage way between them. Leah, sitting in the back, maneuvered the canoe between the two natural storm breakers. Only once they were through them, did the Village of Water come into view.

"Oh wow…" Emma gasped, taking in the view.

Gigantic lily pads floated on the smooth water, with huts made of reeds and driftwood built onto them. A massive cliff rose sharply from the water, with more huts both built in or made from natural caves. In all honesty, when compared to the treehouse style of Le-Koro or the medieval theme of Ta-Koro, Ga-Koro had its own, unique beauty.

Leah chuckled, steering the canoe over to a dock made of reeds. A handful of Ga-Matoran stood there, waiting for their arrival. Once the canoe had been safely pulled over, Emma was able to disembark, and watched as the Ga-Matoran began to unload.

"I see that our brother has finally let you go." The girl turned at the voice, and smiled at the deep blue form hobbling up to her. "It is good to see you again, little sister."

"It's great to see you to Nokama." Emma said, kneeling down and hugging the Turaga.

When the two pulled apart, Nokama gently took the girl's hand, guiding her into the village. "It has been so long. I am just glad that you arrived in one piece."

The look the elder gave her made Emma wince and rub the back of her head with her free hand. "Heh heh… um…" She grimaced when she realized that she had no response.

The Turaga chuckled. "I figured that you would have no excuse." She grinned, a teasing edge to her voice.

The girl groaned, rolling her eyes as she realized what had just happened. "_Really_ sister? Really?"

Nokama just smiled, gently pulling Emma along. The thirteen year old honestly couldn't complain, a smile forming on her own face. She would never admit it aloud, but she had actually missed this - teasing/mother-henning and all.

It was closer to the cliff part of the village that the two came upon a taller, more streamlined form. "Ah, Toa Gali. Just who I was looking for." Nokama greeted, gaining said Toa's attention.

The seven foot tall form turned to them, a smile on her mask. "Turaga Nokama." She greeted, and her smile seemed to grow a bit as her glowing gold eyes settled on the girl. "Emma. It is good to see you again." The Toa of Water held out her fist in greeting.

The girl smiled back, and let her fist lightly bump against the Toa's in return. "It's nice to see you as well, Toa Gali."

"I'd best be off." Nokama said, gently patting Emma's arm. "I trust that you will remain out of too much trouble, little sister. We don't need you to get tangled up again." Her brow raised at the girl, who groaned, "That was _one_ time…"

The Turaga merely rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "And yet you still seem to attract trouble." Her staff lightly tapped the girl on the head. "So please, no shenanigans. I have enough trouble dealing with the Le-Matoran in this village."

Emma's retort died on her tongue as the elder hobbled off. Then, she buried her face into her hands with a groan. "_Aw man…_"

Gali looked at her curiously. "Emma…?"

The response made the Toa snort in amusement. "She just _lectured _me! Again…!" The girl slumped.

The Toa gently patted her shoulder, holding back a chuckle. "Come. I think a small tour would do you some good." With that, Gali guided the young human towards the cliffs.

* * *

For Emma, spending time in the Village of Water was enjoyable. Especially since its Toa was much more welcoming to her than Ta-Koro's. The warm days following the girl's arrival were spent patrolling the beaches and swamps, swimming in the warm shallow waters of Naho Bay, and spending time with the Village of Water's Matoran.

Though, how Emma and Gali ended up covered in head to toe with sand, sticks, leaves and seaweed after a beach patrol, neither would say.

At the moment however, the two were enjoying some down time. They had been trading stories, but had long since settled back to watch a group of giggling children run around.

Suddenly, Emma let out a squeal as a_ very cold _ball of water landed on her head, soaking her. Turning, her eyes narrowed at the Toa sitting innocently beside her, hands dripping wet. The girl let out a mock war cry, and pounced on a surprised Gali. The two tumbled into the bay, where they separated, and Emma swam to the surface.

As the thirteen year old looked around, she squawked as she was splashed in the face with a small wave of water. The girl coughed, spitting out water. She swiped her wet hair out of her eyes, and glared at the smirking blue form treading water nearby.

"Oh-hohoho…" Emma laughed. "_This_ means war, Gali!" She lunged at the Toa, only to miss and be grabbed from behind. The girl squealed with laughter as blue hands dug into her sides. "Ah! No-hohoho!"

Gali chuckled, holding the thirteen year old close. "What was that about 'war' young one?"

The girl snorted and squirmed. "Okay-hay-hay! I give-ve-ve! No-hohoho war-h-h!"

The Toa of Water chuckled, releasing the girl from her grip. "I guess-"

She didn't get much further than that, as Emma suddenly grinned deviously. Her cry of "_ATTACK!_" was followed by several replying war cries.

Poor Gali ended up being dog-piled by several children, all who were far too eager to play with their Village Guardian. The human youth roared with laughter as the Toa squawked in surprise, and was thus sent under by the giggling Matoran.

Needless to say, a water-war soon broke out. When Nokama came over sometime later, she found Toa Gali dozing against a hut, with Emma leaning against her and several napping children curled up the two. The Turaga chuckled softly, and left the group to rest. But she stopped when she heard snickering nearby.

The elder ended up dragging two sulking Le-Matoran behind her. Another prank successfully thwarted…

* * *

But as all things tend to go, the peace didn't last.

Two Ga-Matoran were fishing on the border of the bay and sea when they felt the air change. Looking up, the two froze at the sight of a dark mass gathering over the ocean.

The storm clouds were massive. Near pitch-black in colour, twisting and rolling chaotically. Faint flashes of lightning could be seen within, and even at this distance the faint rumble of thunder could be heard. And it was heading straight for the village.

"It's gonna be a big one," Marka commented, wincing slightly, "just look at how dark those clouds are."

Leah nodded. "Definitely going to be - as Emma once said - a doozy."

"Agreed."

The two quickly packed up and began to paddle back, neither wanting to be caught in the bad weather.

* * *

By the time the sky had darkened from the clouds, Ga-Koro had gone from a bright village full of chatter, to a dull and near-empty village. Only a few scattered Matoran were outside, securing loose items or herding far-to-curious-for-their-own-good children indoors. But they soon disappeared to the safety of the indoors.

When the rain had begun to fall, only two figures could be seen standing on the docks. Nokama watched to clouds with worried eyes, a feeling of wrongness welling in her chest. Gali felt it as well, her own eyes narrowed at the chaotically moving vapour.

"There's something off about this." The Toa said at last.

"I know." The Turaga answered, her staff absently tapping the wood.

"Nokama?" A third voice asked. The two turned to see Emma come up behind them, wrapping her jacket closer around her in an attempt to stay warm - dry was impossible now, as the rain had thoroughly soaked her through. "You need to get inside. It's only going to get worse, and you need to be safe."

The blue elder could see the worry in her little sister's eyes, and nodded. "Very well."

As Nokama hobbled towards her hut, the girl turned to the Toa. "What about you Gali?" She asked, shrinking inwards as the wind began to howl.

"I must stay out and ensure that the storm breakers do not fail." She replied, eyeing the waves already smashing into them.

Emma nodded, saying, "Good luck," before turning and darting for cover. The girl hated to admit it, but she knew that there was nothing else she could do help.

She tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her chest that there was something about the storm that she should _recognize_. But no matter how hard she tried, she came up empty.

* * *

The wind roared outside their hut, and Emma fought against her instinct to try and hide under the cot - the nice, safe sheltered area under it, away from the loud storm (There was a reason why her bed on Earth was a loft! Nice little hidey hole…). Though the hut was made of driftwood and reeds, it was held together by a light, strong and water-proof clay. Even still, images of the walls falling apart and being swept away kept flashing across the thirteen year old's mind. The rocking motion of the lily pad beneath her didn't help.

A hand resting on her's drew the girl out of her turbulent thoughts. Nokama sighed, gently squeezing her little sister's hand. She knew of the girl's terror, and why that was.

"I know it's loud and scary," she said softly, trying to keep the girl focused on her, "just breathe, and it will pass before you know it."

Emma was about to nod, when a terrified shriek came from outside. The girl, despite her fear, was on her feet in an instant, racing over the tied down cloth door. Untying one end, she poked her head out, narrowing her eyes against the downpour.

The bright flash of lightning followed by the boom of thunder, nearly sent her skittering inside. But Emma bit her tongue, forcing her body to _stay put_ as she looked for the source of the shriek. Another cry called out, and when the thirteen year old whipped her head to the source her blood ran cold.

"_Hahli!_" She screamed, and without thinking shot unsteadily out of the hut.

Nokama's panicked cry as the girl bolted was lost to the wind. The Turaga could only watch helplessly, praying that the human would stay safe.

* * *

Hahli's wails were nearly hidden by the howling wind. The Ga-Matoran clung desperately to the edge of a lily pad, the raging water splashing around her threatening to wash her under. _Oh why did I forget to secure my hut door?! _She wailed internally.

She could swear that someone was screaming her name, but before she could confirm it her perch suddenly dropped. Horror filled her as she realized what was about to happen.

Just as the incoming wave washed over her, pulling the pad from her grip, Hahli could have sworn she saw a very panicked non-masked face dive towards her.

* * *

The water was _freezing_, nearly shocking the air straight out of her lungs. Emma knew that diving in was not the brightest idea, but when her eyes caught the dark blue form flailing in the churning current, she knew that she had made the right choice. _Gotta save Hahli. Can't fail now._

With determination driving her, the girl swam as hard as she could towards her endangered friend. The current tossed her about like a rag doll, but she fought it with all her strength. Her lungs burning, Emma reached out, her hand flailing until it came into contact with another.

Grasping the metallic hand with her own flesh one, the girl yanked the smaller form closer to her. Hahli weakly grabbed her shirt, and with her lungs threatening to burst Emma held the smaller form close with one arm.

The thirteen year old swam frantically for the churning surface, panic rising in her chest. _Almost there! Almost…!_

Emma broke the barrier between water and air with a gasp, coughing harshly as a wave slammed into her face. Faintly hearing Hahli coughing, the girl swam for the village, trying to _not_ panic when she realized that the current had dragged them a good distance out.

Fighting the raging waves, Emma somehow managed to make it over to the docks. A couple of Le-Matoran stood there, their stronger forms holding onto reeds while they reached out. Grabbing onto the edge, she hauled Hahli's form onto the dock. The two green Matoran grasped the Ga-Matoran's arms, hauling her up to the relative safety of the dock.

"Get her out of here." Emma rasped, coughing out a bit of water. "I'll follow."

The two nodded, and escorted Hahli away from the dock. The girl grunted, scrambling to pull her drenched form out of the water and to safety. It was then that the dock buckled, and Emma's eyes went wide as she plunged back in.

As she fought the urge to shout in surprise and not lose the air in her lungs, her Danger Sense went off like a shot. The girl barely had a chance to react before something slammed into her side with the force of a train, sending her spinning. Emma barely had time to stabilized herself before she was struck again, and again. By the fifth strike - or was it the seventh? - her lungs were burning again and she was completely disoriented.

Blinking blearily, she finally saw what was attacking her, and her blood ran cold. _A Takea_… The girl paled as the shark-like rahi charged again, but this time she was ready. Emma caught the Takea's nose before it could hit her, pushing against it.

Girl and rahi struggled against each other, one fighting for her life and the other for the kill. But in the end, the Takea proved to be to strong, and sent the girl spinning backwards. As Emma fought to right herself, a searing pain shot though her left leg. A scream rose in her throat, and as she frantically tried to swim away she could see blood trailing in the water. But before she could do anything else, the Takea rammed her again - _hard_.

What little air Emma had in her burning lungs was forced out as the rahi impacted her chest. Her cry became gargled as water rushed in, and her body convulsed as she choked. Panic set in as she felt the water invade, and as she was unable to breathe her thoughts became scrambled. Weakly, she saw the Takea coming around, but the girl began to sink as darkness encroached on her vision. The last thing she registered before succumbing to unconsciousness was something diving into the water far above her, then nothing.

* * *

Gali held back a curse as she dove into the water, activating her Mask of Water-Breathing and trying to find the form of the young girl.

The Toa could still remember what had happened, and she could only pray that she acted fast enough.

* * *

_From where she had been monitoring the storm breakers, Gali had heard one of her Matoran crying out. Since the storm had been slowly decreasing in strength, it was safe enough for the Toa to race into the village. There she found Hahli being held by two Le-Matoran, both who were keeping her drenched form from diving into the churning water. "What's going on-?"_

_"__Emma!" Hahli screamed, cutting the Toa of Water off. "She's still down there! By the docks! Emma!"_

_It took Gali less then a second to understand what the Ga-Matoran meant. Instructing the three Matoran to get inside, she raced across the lily pads and onto the wooden dock. Reaching the edge, the blue Toa stood there, trying to see where the girl could be. After a moment, a discolouration caught her attention, and her blood ran cold as she realized what, _exactly_, the redness was. "Oh no…"_

* * *

Pumping her limbs as hard as she could, Gali swam downwards, trying to spot her new friend in the churning water. A Takea suddenly tried to sideswipe her, and the Toa gracefully avoided it. As it turned to try again, she noticed the redness tinging the rahi's sharp claws. Anger and horror rose within her, and Gali held her arms out, tapping into her elemental power. The water reacted to her energies, and with an angered roar she shoved the rahi back with a makeshift current. The Takea screeched angrily as it was tossed about, but when faced with the Toa in her element it knew it was outmatched, and fled back into the darkness.

Satisfied that the Takea would not be back, Gali looked around frantically, praying silently that she was not too late. More red discolouration caught her eye, and the Toa dove downwards after its source. As she followed the trail, a limp form came into sight, sinking downwards.

_Emma…_ Gali forced herself to swim faster, and within moments she was able to snag the girl's limp form. With the youth safely in her grasp, the blue Toa swam for the surface. It felt like days before she finally broke the barrier, and Gali scrambled for the docks, where a small group of Matoran and Turaga Nokama stood, ignoring the rain pelting them. She gently lay the girl's unmoving form on the soaked wood, before pulling herself out.

Nokama was already kneeling beside Emma's head, her fingers pressed to the girl's neck. Her mask paled as Gali crouched on the other side. "I-I can't find a pulse…!"

The Toa's heart sank at that, but she refused to give up. "Stand back!" Gali instructed, holding her hands over the thirteen year old's chest. Closing her eyes, the Toa once again tapped into her elemental energies. Her hands began to move in rhythmic, swaying motions over Emma's unmoving chest, a faint glow covering them.

Then, as Gali's hands moved towards the girl's mouth, water was pulled out. The Toa continued her movements, until every last drop was pulled from the thirteen year old's lungs. It was then discarded into the bay, and Gali's hands moved back to the girl. Hands still glowing with healing energy, she lay them on the child's chest. There was a faint pulse of energy, before the Toa pulled back.

For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen. Then, with no warning, Emma's eyes shot open as she heaved for air. A cheer of relief filled the rainy air as Gali gently supported the girl's trembling form, helping Nokama sooth the disoriented and frazzled child.

* * *

Emma hacked, weakly grasping onto the larger form holding her while a smaller one gently rubbed her shoulder and part of her back. She struggled to understand what was going on - where was she?! Why was she wet?! Who was holding her?! Why could she hear cheering?! - but as time passed it her memory slowly trickled back. Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she shakily unclasped her hands from where they had been latched onto Gali's armour. "W-Wha…?"

Nokama's voice, filled with relief, had her blink and focus on her. "Shh…" the Turaga soothed, cupping her cheek with a hand, "it's okay now. You're going to be alright now."

Emma just weakly nodded, to dazed to really understand, before whimpering as pain shot up her leg. Looking down, her stomach rolled when she saw her torn and bloodied calf.

The elder quickly turned the thirteen year old's head away from the wound and Gali laid her down on the dock, moving towards it. The girl fought not to cry, even as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. As Nokama gently wiped them away, murmuring soothing words of comfort, as strange coolness encompassed her left leg. Emma squeaked, instinct wanting her to pull back, but before she could the pain began to fade, making her freeze in shock until it was only a dull throb. She heard some faint whispering as the coolness disappeared, before her leg was wrapped in something soft. Blinking and finally glancing down, the girl could see that a bandage was now covering the wound, but she could instantly tell that the injury was not as bad as it had been.

Her head began to feel heavy as the enormity of what had just happened settled on her, and Emma laid back with a groan. Her eyes began to drift shut, and she felt a pair of arms gently lift her up. The girl's head rested against the silver armoured shoulder, and she blinked weakly at the Toa's masked face. "G-Gali…"

The Toa of Water smiled down at her, holding her smaller form close. "Get some rest. You are safe now."

And Emma believed her. With a sigh, she let herself relax, and she drifted into the peacefulness of sleep.

* * *

Gali gently lay the young girl into her cot, tucking the blanket around her soaked form. Double checking that Emma would be all right, the Toa slipped out into the receding rain. Already the suns were beginning to break through the clouds, lighting up the darkened area.

"What happened?" Nokama asked, her voice trembling faintly.

Gali kneeled down, trying to keep her own voice from shaking. "I am… unsure myself. When I heard Hahli shouting, I ran to investigate, only to find that Emma was underwater. I dove in…" she grimaced at the memory of seeing the red discolouration of the water, "And discovered a Takea."

The elder stiffened in shock. "In the Village?!"

Gali shook her head. "No, by the docks. But," she braced herself against the memory, "it was the creature that attacked Emma."

For a long moment Nokama was frozen, her mask pale with horror and terror. Then, she shakily nodded, absently patting the Toa's arm and hobbling past her into the hut. Gali watched silently as the cloth door swung faintly, before standing and looking over the village. Already Ga-Koro was regaining its bustling of life, with Matoran running around cleaning up the mess from the storm.

Even still, she could not shake the memory of the look the Takea had given her. The dark, evil gleam in its eyes…

The Toa of Water shook her head, placing a hand to her mask and closing her eyes for a brief moment to clear her mind. She needed to focus on the now, and help her Matoran repair the damage from the storm.

Sparing one last glance at her Turaga's hut, Gali stood and made her way towards a small group of Matoran struggling to upright several overturned canoes.

However, the heavy feeling of wrongness remained settled on her chest.

* * *

She sat on the edge of a small lily pad, her bare feet submerged in the water with her track pants folded above her knees. Her arctic blue gaze stared blankly across the now calm waters of Naho Bay. Her hands rested in her lap, idly fingering her golden crystal, which reflected the light of the morning suns.

Faint footsteps came from behind her, but the girl didn't even react. Her gaze remained over the water even as the tall, blue form of the village's Toa sat beside her.

For a long moment the two remained silent, just sitting side by side. Then, the silence was broken when Gali reached over and gently took one of Emma's hands. "Are you alright?"

The girl gusted out a sigh, her arctic gaze turning to the Toa. She gave a weak shrug. "As 'alright' as I'll ever be."

Gali nodded, though her golden eyes were filled with concern. After a moment, the Toa stood, scooping up the thirteen year old's shoes and sub-spacing them, before she gently tugged Emma to her feet. The girl pulled her bare feet out of the water, and in the process revealed a faint, though still angry red, jagged scar marring her left calf.

When Gali saw the girl staring down at the mark, she lightly turned her head away, and guided Emma back into the village. The thirteen year old's eyes lit up a bit when several Matoran cried out in greeting, which she returned.

A group of excited children ran past, but a few of them backtracked to grab Emma's arms, pulling her down into a crouch. The excited chatter of "Come play with us!" filled the air, but before the girl could answer a small Le-Matoran leaped up and snagged her hat. He bolted, giggling and laughing along with several of his friends, all who followed after him like a mini-herd of Kikinalo. The thirteen year old yelped, staring at them in disbelief before she let out a mock cry of anger. Emma immediately took of after the giggling group, shouting "Give that back!", but there was a tone of amusement in her voice.

Gali watched the chase with a laugh, smiling as Emma tried - and failed - to retrieve her hat in the children's improvised game of Keep Away. But even as she watched the light of happiness return to the girl's eyes, something didn't settle right with her. The situation from two days ago was still fresh in her memory, and even now still haunted the Toa. The gleam in the Takea's eyes…

_Something is not right,_ The Toa Nuva of Water thought to herself, _the sudden appearance of the storm, the rahi attack…_ she turned away, looking to the side. On a nearby lily pad was Kotu, a light blue Ga-Matoran, gently patting the nose of a Tarakava. It was a rahi that had once been under the control of Makuta, but after it had been freed Kotu had treated it, and the Tarakava had ended up being adopted by the village. Gali knew one of the main reasons why, and it was because of that very reason that she was so disturbed.

Takea absolutely _hated_ Tarakava, to the point where the two rahi species generally avoided the other's territory. For a Takea to come so near Ga-Koro, especially since a Tarakava lived there, and during weather that usually had sea-faring rahi swimming for deeper waters to avoid rough storm-created currents of the shallower areas…

Gali knew that something was wrong, but for the life of her, she could not determine _why_. And that only made the feeling grow.

* * *

"And yet again, the child beats the odds…" Makuta rumbled to himself, staring at the worm-like creature floating within the glowing green canister. His crimson gaze turned to the side as his servant approached. "Well?"

"The specimens are progressing well master," the servant replied, kneeling before the monstrous form, "they should be ready within the next several eight-days."

Makuta chuckled, a dark, twisted sound that would make several cower in terror. "_Excellent…_" He grinned, "_excellent…_"

* * *

"Are you certain that you will be fine?" Nokama pressed, concern tinging her voice.

Emma let out a small sigh, a smile twitching on her lips. "Sister, you know that I'm feeling much better now." The smile turned into a smirk. "You don't need to keep mothering me. I already have one."

A few Matoran could be heard snickering at the comment, as did several more when Nokama bopped the girl on the head with her staff. Emma let out a pained whine, rubbing the offended area.

"Now I'll let you know that as your older sister I have every right to 'mother' you." The Turaga scolded, giving the now cowering girl a 'Look'. "And given what happened recently, I am trying to make sure that you will _stay_ fine."

Emma winced and bowed her head. "Yes, Nokama."

The elder sighed, but pulled the girl into a hug. When the two split, the Turaga handed her little sister her sack. "I've packed some more food for you, refilled your canteen," she smiled, "along with adding a container of sweet berry treats."

Emma's eyes lit up at the mention of the sweets. She swung the bag strap over her shoulder, failing to hide her excitement. "Thank you sister."

Nokama chuckled, gently patting the girl's arm with a knowing look in her eyes. "You are most welcome. Now," she smiled sadly, "if you are going to leave for the next village, you'd best go now."

The thirteen year old stood, laying a hand on the Turaga's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Promise."

Nokama gently squeezed the hand, holding onto it lightly until the girl pulled away. "Be safe, little _gi_." She whispered softly. _Mata Nui, keep her safe._

* * *

Emma waved at the Matoran standing on the docks as she drifted past, before turning to face the bay ahead. Reaching down, she pulled out the double sided paddle and dipped one of the two blades of it into the blue water. Rotating her arms, she alternated which side of the canoe a blade would dip in. The motions were smooth, practiced, and within moments she had gained decent speed, and maneuvered around the storm breakers into the open bay. Letting the double bladed paddle rest in her lap, Emma sat back and let her momentum carry her canoe onwards.

Movement in the water next to her caught her eye, and the girl smiled and waved at the blue form swimming along besides her. Gali waved back, before diving down and rolling under the canoe, appearing on the other side before swimming further ahead and turning. The thirteen year old laughed, watching as the blue Toa swam away, and dipped one of the paddles blades back into the water.

Far ahead of the girl, the brown, sandy coast of Po-Wahi awaited her arrival.

* * *

A/N - And done! Well, this chapter, but hey!

So, Emma leaves Ga-Koro for the next village. Let's hope things turn out better there…

The storm breakers are my own creation, but I thought that since this is a village that mostly floats on water, it would need some form of tsunami/massive wave protection.

If you guys have any questions, about my own take on the story or my OC, please feel free to leave me a review or PM me. I'm sure some of you are curious about why Emma had the strong urge to hide…

Also, I decided to just post the new poll. Since it only got 6 votes during the 3+ months it was up and I only have 6 people actively following… yeah. I got my answer, so I hope you guys check out the new poll! It involves some one-shots… most of them funny, but some with a deeper meaning.

Next Chapter - Sandy Games


	9. Chapter 6 - Sandy Games

A/N - Okay, not the best Chapter title, but it was all I could come up with.

Soooooooooorry! I know, it's been _forever_ since I last posted! My life has been so busy lately, that I've had _zero_ time to work on this, let alone think! But Razoreagle k'Leshya gave me a hand, so here I am!

Also... my family just adopted another cat! He's a little kitten we're calling Scamper. Of course, our first and only other cat Sparks wasn't impressed... But Scamper is such a cuddly boy! In fact, even as I'm typing this now he's curled up on my chest napping! Of course, his table manners could use some work -_-'

Now, I have a pretty long reason for my long absence, so I'll put it in the bottom Author's Note. Now then, let's get onto the main event!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Only my OC and the current plot.

* * *

The sandy desert of Po-Wahi stretched endlessly towards the horizon, the warmth of the twin suns beating down. A single form trudged along, her white, blue and black form standing out against the brown surroundings. She stopped for a moment, sitting on a nearby boulder and pulling a canteen out of her sack. Taking a small sip of water, the girl then poured a small amount into her palm before splashing it on her face. She sighed in relief as the liquid cooled her hot, sweaty face, even if she knew it was only a temporary fix from the heat.

"Why did Onewa have Po-Koro built so far from any streams?" Emma wondered aloud to herself, glaring down the faint trail she was following. Then, her eyes softened a bit as she sighed. "Right, because the area reminded him of Po-Metru." _Not to mention he's terrified of water — not that he'd ever admit that out loud._

After taking another sip from her canteen, the girl then closed it and put it back in her bag. Standing up, she then turned back to the trail and continued on her trek. _Stupid suns… where are clouds when you need them?_

However, not long later did her 'Danger Sense' begin to act up. Emma turned her head, and her face paled when she saw the massive brown cloud rolling towards her.

"Oh sh-!" Emma cursed, darting about wildly to find shelter from the incoming sandstorm. Unfortunately, she was unable to find any quick enough. Within moments the storm was upon her.

The girl coughed, her eyes tearing up as the sand stung them while yanking up her shirt to keep it out of her mouth and nose. Blinded and her exposed skin stinging from the sand, she stumbled around. Emma's free hand swung around wildly, trying to find anything. Eventually, her foot caught on something, and she went stumbling to the ground. Curling up, she felt fear well up in her chest. Was she going to be buried alive here, suffocating under the sand?

After what felt like forever, there was a sudden, more extreme gust of wind, followed by the sound of _something_ skidding in the sand. Then, she felt large, metal hands gently scoop her prone form up. The words "Hold on!" echoed in her ears before the world suddenly shifted, and everything blurred. Squeezing her eyes shut, Emma felt her stomach flip even as she instinctively latched onto whoever was holding her. Her ears were filled with the roar of the storm and something else, then… everything stopped.

Blinking, Emma uncurled slightly, moving her head away from the silver and brown metal it had been pressed against. Staring around the barren walls of the cavern she was in, the girl's arctic blue gaze was drawn up by a faint, yet reassuring rumble. Orange and gold eyes gazed down at her, surrounded by a copper brown mask.

"It's much safer in here than it is outside." The Toa rumbled softly, a smile tugging on his lips.

Emma nodded a little dumbly, still rattled over what had just happened. "Y-Yeah…"

He set her feet on the ground, and the girl's fingers gently, if a little stiffly, unclasped from his armour. The taller form helped the girl stay upright when her legs nearly buckled, and he let out a soft chuckle.

"First time going that fast?" The brown Toa asked, a small grin on his face.

The word 'duh' popped into Emma's mind, but she was too overwhelmed to care. Instead, she made a mumbling sound, and slid down against the smooth cavern wall with groan.

After a couple minutes of calming her flipping stomach and battling the sudden yet faint vertigo, the girl looked over her left shoulder at the brown and silver form sitting near her. "Pohatu?"

Orange and gold eyes glanced over at her. "Yes?"

A smile flickered onto Emma's face. "Thank you. For the save."

The Toa grinned back, his chest puffing up slightly. "It's what I do." He preened.

Emma couldn't help it. She started giggling, amusement welling up in her chest. That giggling soon turned into laughter, and the laughter then became hysterics. Pohatu stared blankly at her, his shoulders slumping as he was not sure what to make of the sudden laughing fit.

After a minute, Emma's laughter died down into faint snorts, and she waved her hand. "S-Sor-rry-he-he!" She giggled out, forcing herself to take a deep, calming breath. "I… hehe… I d-don't know where that came f-from."

Pohatu simply nodded, not pressing any further — even though it looked like he wanted to. Maybe having Lewa for a brother helped with that…?

A comfortable silence fell over the two, only broken by the faint roar of the sandstorm outside the small cavern. While the Toa began to inspect his claw-like weapons, Emma rummaged though her sac. A small smile flickered onto her face when she pulled out a familiar container. Popping off the lid, her eyes lit up at the small, bumpy-rounded treats sitting inside. Reaching in, she pulled one out and popped it into her mouth.

As she chewed on the very tasty homemade treat, her eyes caught sight of the Toa glancing over. Mentally giggling, Emma finished with the one in her mouth and asked "Want one?"

Pohatu gaped at her, looking surprised that she noticed. Snickering, she grinned at him. "I have a friend back on my world who gets a similar look when she sees me with a yummy sweet." The girl then held one out to him, trying not to laugh as the Toa fumbled for it, obviously a little embarrassed for some reason. Maybe it was the fact he — a big, tough, powerful Toa — had looked like a small child does when passing a candy shop.

Giggling a little at the mental image, Emma put the container back into her sack and leaned against the wall. "So," she asked after a bit, glancing over at her companion, "why are you so far from Po-M—" she coughed "Po-Koro?"

If Pohatu caught her almost-slip, he didn't say anything to it. Instead, he subspaced his claws, leaning against the smooth stone. "Well, Turaga Onewa sent me to find you."

Emma blinked. "He did? Why?"

The Toa of Stone shrugged, placing his hands behind his head. "Wouldn't say."

The girl sighed, settling back. She had a sneaking suspicion her older stone brother was concerned about her, but was to stubborn to say it out loud.

_Kolhii head…_ She giggled softly to herself, leaning back and mimicking Pohatu's position, only she crossed her legs casually while his were just splayed out.

"How did you meet the Turaga?"

The question was so out of the blue that it took Emma several seconds to process it. Then, it took her several more to figure out how in the world to answer without revealing too much.

"Well…" she started, taking an extra second to gather her thoughts, "For me — er, rather, in my world's time — it was six months ago." At the Toa's strange look she quickly said, "More than fifteen eight-days — I think." That had him nod in understanding, so she continued. "Anyways, there was some sort of electrical storm, and I got zapped here. The Turaga found me before the villages were fully built, and for the next few months here we got to know each other. I guess we just… clicked, you know?" It wasn't the full truth, but she didn't exactly lie either — just omitted a few parts.

Pohatu nodded, accepting the story.

Another silence fell over the two, until Emma decided to ask her own question.

"So, how did you and the other Toa get here?"

* * *

The sandy desert whipped past at breathtaking speeds, a blur unless you could look at one place long enough before it vanished from view. Emma clung piggy-back style on Pohatu's back, her legs gripping his torso tightly while her arms wrapped around his neck as tight as she could without choking the Toa. His mask glowed almost-gold in the early afternoon suns, his _Kanohi_ allowing them to cover more distance in minutes that would have taken the girl a couple good hours walking.

Emma's hair was practically plastered behind her, and she had the foresight to put her hat inside the safety of her sack. Though despite the speed her companion was going at, it only felt like a soft wind. Was this what it felt like to use a _Kanohi Kakama_?

All too soon, they were stopping, and as Emma slid off the Toa she couldn't stop her jaw from dropping in awe. Domed huts of mud and rock littered the canyon interior, with more perched on the surrounding walls. Caves were mixed in as well, and milling about were several Matoran. Most were brown Po-Matoran, but here and there the girl could see splashes of blue, green, and the occasional red and black mixed in.

All in all, Po-Koro was a bustling and driving village just like the others. However, the main part of the Koro was focused around a marketplace, where she could see several craftsmen and vendors displaying their carvings, masks, and other nicknacks.

Of course, the normal hustle and bustle changed the second the Matoran realized their guardian had returned, and Pohatu was instantly swarmed. Emma took a few steps back, laughing softly as the poor Toa of Stone was pulled to his knees by rather excited looking children.

"Emma!"

Turning at the sound of her name, a wide grin split the girl's face as a familiar blue form ran up, followed by a brown one.

"Macku!" Emma laughed, not having seen her in Ga-Koro, and accepting the hug her friend gave her. Then, after letting the Ga-Matoran go, she looked up at the exasperated yet excited Po-Matoran who followed her. "Hewkii!" She happily accepted a hug from him. "It's great to see you guys again!"

Macku beamed, linking her hand with Hewkii's. "It's great to see you again Emma!"

The Po-Matoran nodded. "It's been so long…"

Emma smiled sadly, once again reminded that while she was still a kid, her friends here had grown up more then she had…

"Well, well, well…" a familiar voice _tisk_ed, "look who finally showed up. You certainly took your sweet time coming."

Despite her instinctive eye-roll, Emma couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Says he who needs a cane, _po-ani_."

She _really_ should have expected the solid _thunk_ to her head. Whining and rubbing her now-sore cranium, the girl glared at the shorter form. "_Po-ani_… that _hurt_…"

The Turaga of Stone snorted. Lightly rapping his staff on the ground, he said, "It was supposed to, you little smart-aft."

Emma whined again, grumbling under her breath. Onewa, with little patience, snorted again. "Oh, it wasn't that hard," he waved off her glare, "but if you _want_ it to be…" a gleam enters his eyes.

The girl blanched, waving her hands wildly. "N-No! I'm good! No need!"

Grinning in triumph, the Turaga pulled her to her feet, and began to drag her along, muttering under his breath. Emma, not really having any choice — and honestly quite used to this — followed.

Behind them, the witnessing Matoran snickered while Pohatu stared with wide eyes. _What on the island just happened?_

The Toa was even more confused when the Matoran walked off as though is was completely normal.

* * *

A couple hours after arriving in the Village of Stone, Emma - who had managed to escape her brother — scowled as she stared at the lump of rock before her. The tan and black Po-Matoran sitting across the table chuckled. "Having some trouble my friend?" He grinned.

The girl glared, eyes narrowed into slits and a low growl rising in her throat.

Another Po-Matoran sitting nearby laughed. "Watch out Hafu! You know Emma has a temper!"

Hafu just chuckled, raising his hands in a 'surrendering' manner. "Yes, I know! However, I thought she said that she was 'an artist'." He chuckled, moving back to his own work with a grin.

Then the lump of stone bounced off of his mask.

The carvers sitting nearby all broke down into fits of laughter, while Emma crossed her arms and glared at the Po-Matoran now rubbing his sore temple. "An artist _doesn't_ just mean being just a carver Hafu! Just because I'm not good at carving doesn't mean I'm not an artist!"

The tan and black Po-Matoran leaned back in surprise, not expecting the outburst. Everyone else nearby had stopped to look over at the yell.

There was a loud pause, like someone had just ripped all the sound from the room. Then, the girl sighed, running a hand down her face. "'M sorry, Hafu. I've just… been under a lot of stress for some time, and this did _not_ help."

Hafu, thankfully, only smiled in understanding, reaching across the table and gently patting her hand. "I'm sorry as well, my friend. Now," he picked up the thrown rock, setting it back on the table, "how about I give you some pointers, hmm?"

Emma, relieved to have the situation defused, shifted closer to focus on Hafu's pointers as he carved away at his rock, then having her try to repeat it.

Thankfully, there was no other conflict that afternoon, and by the time the suns were setting, Emma had managed to carve a few, rough objects. One, she was very proud of.

"_Po-Ani!_" She cried out happily as her older stone brother hobbled in. "Look!"

The Turaga made a grunting noise, but he still came over. For all his tough, hard demeanour, Emma knew that deep down inside, he really cared. The girl happily presented to him the roughly carved multi-pedal flower. Onewa took it gently in his hands, inspecting it with a critical eye.

After a long minute, he smiled, gently handing it back. "Good job kiddo." He said, before gently ruffling her hat and hair.

Emma whined at that, but a grin remained fixed on her face.

* * *

Though she had enjoyed spending time with the carvers, Emma wanted to spend the next day doing something else — mainly, what the village was well known for outside carving.

_Kolhii_.

Watching the players run across the field, staffs in hand, was something to behold. Though the rules were still a little fuzzy for her, she knew that there were usually two players per team. But watching this group, she could see it was more of a free for all, as the stone ball — also called a comet — was flying every which way, with no real set trajectory.

It was a lot of fun to watch.

Leaning back with a sigh, the girl closed her eyes as she silently remembered the last time she was here.

_"Come on Emma!"_

_"Pass the ball!"_

_"Incoming!"_

_"I got it! I got it!"_

"Emma?"

She visibly jumped with a small squeak, smacking a hand over her chest in fright. Turning her head, the girl let out a small breath when she saw who it was. "_Pohatu!_ You scared me!"

"I can see that." The Toa of Stone said, looking both surprised and amused. He then gestured to the spot beside her. "Is that seat taken?"

Emma shook her head, and shifted over a bit so he could sit. As he settled beside her, the Toa glanced over just as one of the players got whacked in the head with the ball, flailing comically and accidentally hitting another player in the face with his _Kolhii_ staff. Both Toa — honorary and Nuva — let out a snort.

As the field dissolved into chaos with players shouting and fighting each other, the girl caught Pohatu's eye. "Do you want to deal with this or should I?" She asked, an exasperated look on her face.

The Toa sighed, getting up out of his seat. "Allow me." He then grinned.

He held out his hand… and the players scattered as the field suddenly erupted with relatively large rocks.

"_Pohatu!_" Emma yelped, fighting back a laugh. "That's not what I meant!"

The tall brown form just shrugged, a grin still on his face.

The girl then smirked, glancing over at the field. "Well, I'm not going to be the one to explain to Onewa why Po-Koro's _Kolhii_ Field is now a mess."

Pohatu blinked, then blanched, only just realizing what he did. "Oh slag…"

Emma laughed and laughed as the Toa of Stone flew into an almost-panic, scrambling to fix the field. The six _Kolhii_ players had now migrated to the stands, and sat clustered around the girl. The group watched with amusement as their stone guardian tried to undo the damage he did.

* * *

The stadium was dark, with the only light coming from the stars and from Bara Magna, which sat low on the horizon, casting an orange-y glow. All was silent-

_Thwack!_

A single form stood in the centre of the field. In her hands she held a short — for her — staff, with a hammer on one end, a scoop on the other. She held the hammer end up, swung-

_Thwack!_

The hammer impacted one of the balls lined up, sending it flying. It landed to the left of the hole-like goal, where several other balls lay — all outside the goal. She scowled, before shuffling over and lining up her next shot.

_Thwack!_

Again, a ball was sent flying, but it too landed short of the goal. The girl let out an irritated sound, slamming the hammer end into the ground. Her hands squeezed the staff part of it until her knuckles went white.

After a few seconds, the girl let out a loud yell and flung her staff across the stadium. "_Damnit!_" The staff slammed into the field's wall, leaving a small crack in it. She then slumped to the ground, fisting the dirt with tears in her eyes.

There was a moment of silence, then a brown metal hand rested on her shoulder. "Emma…"

The girl turned her head, surprise in her arctic eyes. "P-Pohatu…?"

The Toa Nuva of Stone smiled sadly at her, kneeling down beside her. He gently picked up another _Kolhii_ ball, holding it out to her. "Let me teach you." He said softly.

Emma stared at him, eyes wide with shock. Then, a small, grateful smile twitched onto her face. Sniffing, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "O-Okay."

With that, the two stood. W hile Pohatu grabbed a spare, Emma moved to retrieved her _Kolhii_ Staff. She blinked in surprise at the crack in the stadium wall, before making her way back to the Toa, dismissing it as just the rock being old.

* * *

By the time the twin suns were rising over the horizon, Toa and girl were darting across the field. Emma, with a grunt, smashed the hammer of her _Kolhii_ Staff against the comet, sending it towards the goal. A blur of brown intercepted it, and took off the other way.

"_Pohatu!_" Emma yelped, skidding on the ground as she attempted to turn and stop fast. "Stop using your-!" She yowled as her feet slid out from under her, sending the girl sprawling across the ground.

The Toa of Stone skidded to a stop, before rushing back in another brown blur. Crouching besides her, he helped the girl up.

"Are you okay?" Pohatu asked, looking his friend over.

Emma nodded, before giving herself a shake. "Y-Yeah. I'm good. Wasn't expecting that, that's all."

The Toa sighed, before looking up as the suns' light began to peak over the cliffs. "We may as well head back. We've been here all night."

The girl nodded, and together they cleaned up the field before leaving.

…And ran right into an irate Onewa.

_Busted…_ Emma gulped under her older brother's stare. "Uh… morning?" She half-squeaked.

The Turaga stared at them for a moment, before pointing his staff at her. "You, bed. _Now_." He then pointed his staff at the now cowering Toa. "You, stay. We are going to have a little _talk_."

Emma winced as she slinked off, faintly hearing the beginnings of a rant/lecture. Maybe they shouldn't have stayed up so late…

She yawned widely. _Yep, definitely shouldn't have stayed up so late._

* * *

It was almost late afternoon when Emma emerged from Onewa's hut. Stifling a yawn, she blearily rubbed her eyes. Blinking, she squinted against the bright light from the twin suns, before she placed her cap on her head. Blinking again, though now her vision had cleared some, the girl winced a bit as her stomach grumbled.

However, before Emma could take a step towards the Koro centre, a brown blur came to a stop before her. "Good morning Emma." Pohatu greeted cheerfully.

The girl glared at the Toa from under the rim of her hat, brushing stirred up dust from off her shirt. "It's late afternoon Pohatu." She grumbled. "It would be morning if we hadn't stayed up so late." Whether she was mad at him or herself was debatable.

The Toa winced. "Right. Forgot that you are unable to go as long as myself or the other Toa without sleep."

The girl's glare seemed to darken.

Pohatu coughed, suddenly feeling very small under the glare. It reminded him far too much of Turaga Onewa's. "Well, if it makes you feel any better," he handed her a basket, "I saved some meat and berries for you."

Emma took the basket from him, opening it. The delicious smell of cooked meat wafted from within, and the glare disappeared completely.

"Thank you." Emma said, smirking at the Toa before disappearing inside the hut. Well, looks like she wouldn't have to wait for her food this time.

Pohatu watched as the curtains swished shut behind the girl, before sighing. He knew that the Turaga of the island had 'adopted' the girl as their little sister, but he had not expected her to act so _similar_ to them. It was almost scary how she could so easily mimic them, yet still retain her own personality.

_There is definitely something unique about her,_ Pohatu thought to himself, _but strangely, also familiar._ Her bright, arctic blue eyes… for some reason, they reminded the Toa of someone. But for the life of him, he could not recall _who_. The Toa of Stone did know one thing for certain — whoever Emma reminded him of, it was from before he and the other Nuva came to the island as Toa Mata. _A time that we cannot recall._

* * *

Emma grunted as she hauled herself up the rock face. A yelp escaped her as her foot slipped, but she was able to catch herself.

"You okay?" Pohatu's voice wafted up from below her, where the Stone Toa was clinging to the rock.

"_Peachy_." Emma muttered under her breath, before calling down an "I'm okay!"

With that, the duo's climb resumed. Emma recalled briefly about how the Toa had approached her after her late 'breakfast', and asked if she'd like to go rock climbing with him. She had agreed excitedly, and out of habit had moved to grab her spear — only to remember that Onewa had confiscated it after her late night. So, instead she had grabbed a _Kolhii_ Staff for 'just in case'. It rested against her back in her spear's sheath, a little heavier than what she was used to, but she managed.

Grunting, the girl hauled herself onto the top of the mesa. Turning, she then reached down to help pull Pohatu up.

Or, Emma would have, if the Toa hadn't leapt over her in a mid air summersault.

The girl tumbled back onto her bottom with a sharp yelp. "_Pohatu!_"

The Toa chuckled, raising from his landing crouch. "My apologies-" He yelped as a heel slammed into his armoured calf, sending him to the ground. His assailant was not without injury.

"_YEEEEOOW!_" Emma shrieked, grabbing her foot. "Ow ow ow ow _oooooow!_" _Not smart not smart not smart!_

The girl hopped around on one foot for a bit as the Toa rubbed his smarting limb. Neither noticed two pairs of glowing red eyes watching from an opening in the rock face.

"Well," Pohatu grunted, standing to his feet, "that was unexpected."

Emma groaned. "I _know_. Instinct kicked in before brain engaged." She mostly muttered that last part to herself, but the Toa still heard it.

"'Instinct'?" He asked, glancing over at her. "You've done this before?"

The girl snorted, gingerly placing her foot down. "Mata Nui, you have no idea." A memory of her giving Matua - when he was still a Toa - a solid kick to the shin flashed through her mind.

Pohatu opened his mouth to ask another question, when what sounded like a hiss-click sounded. The two froze, and turned slowly, like one would in a horror film, eyes wide.

From a break in the rock face, two large, insect-like rahi with large claws and equally large stingers emerged. Their eyes glowed an eerie red, reflecting off of their armour — one blue, the other purple. Their mandibles clicked menacingly, and their stingers dripped with poison.

The Toa of Stone slowly backed up, placing an arm out protectively in front of Emma's trembling form. "_Nui-Jaga_…" He near-hissed, a growl rumbling in his chest.

The girl was frozen stiff, trembling softly in terror. _Why does it have to be Nui-J-J-Jaga?!_ Her greatest fear outside of spiders and heights: scorpions.

The two rahi hissed, clicking their pincers as they advanced. Emma flinched back when the blue one jerked forwards aggressively.

"It'll be okay." Pohatu murmured, slowly edging the girl back. "Nui-Jaga aren't very bright, and they're very slow. Just stay behind me, and- _whoa!_"

The brown Toa jerked back as the blue Jaga lunged forwards with surprising speed.

"I thought you said they were slow?!" Emma yelped.

"They're supposed to be!" The Toa yelled back, shoving the girl behind him as the purple one lunged forwards as well.

"So, are we going to fight, or run?" Emma asked, peeking around him. She really, really hated scorpions…

Pohatu glanced around. The two were on the top of a mesa, with no nearby ledges or cliffs to leap too. He cursed softly under his breath. "Fight." He answered, pulling out his claws.

Emma whimpered slightly, but nevertheless pulled out her borrowed _Kolhii_ Staff. As good as she was a fighter, she wasn't ready to face a pair of _giant bio-robotic scorpions_. But as the two rahi advanced, she took up a defensive position: she was fighting these things whether she wanted to or not.

The girl barely had a chance to bring the staff up before the blue one pounced on her. It's mask-like claws clamped down on her staff, mere inches from her face. Emma grunted as she pushed back, trying to keep the scorpion off of her. The girl could hear the sounds of fighting nearby, so she knew that calling for Pohatu's help was a no go. Squirming, she managed to get her legs under the Jaga, and with a yell launched the bug off of her.

The urge to _pounce_ on the scorpion rose within her, but Emma shook it off. Instead, she charged the stunned rahi, slamming the hammer end of the staff into its side. It screeched angrily as it tumbled, before catching itself. Glaring at her with red eyes, it let out a hissing-screech, waving its stinger rapidly.

Emma jumped back with a curse as droplets of venom splattered the ground where she had just been standing. "Alrighty bug," she snarled, having had enough already, "bring it on!"

The two charged each other.

* * *

Pohatu grunted as the purple Nui-Jaga sent him sliding back. Snarling, he slammed his right claw weapon into the ground, and a stone pillar exploded out from under the rahi. But it flipped in midair, landing back on the mesa on its legs before charging again. The Toa repeated the same action three more times, but each time the scorpion dodged.

Barely dodging a stinger to the chest, Pohatu swung his claw-weapon. The Nui-Jaga screeched as the attack hit, sending it flailing onto its back.

Panting, the Toa stood up, only to grunt in pain as the scorpion slammed into his chest, knocking his tools from his hands. Claws dove for his face, and Pohatu flung up his left arm in defence. Gritting his teeth against the pain of the pincers biting into the hide around his armour, the Toa of Stone slammed his other fist into the Jaga's abdomen. The scorpion screeched, but clung on stubbornly. Pohatu kept slamming his fist into the purple rahi over and over, till it finally let go with a gurgling screech. It weakly hopped back a few feet, hissing at him.

Suddenly, it stiffened, glowing red eyes staring around the brown Toa. Pohatu barely had time to react as a sharp cry of "_DUCK!_" rang through the air. The blue Nui-Jaga soared over his head, slamming into its purple companion. Glancing behind him, the Toa of Stone could see Emma's form heaving in air, arms outstretched from throwing the scorpion.

"Nice lob." He panted out as the girl came up to join him, having reclaimed her _Kolhii_ Staff from where it had been laying on the ground.

"I've had some practice." She said, getting into a defensive position. "So, got any idea on how to beat these things?" Emma asked, watching as the two scorpions untangled themselves.

"Well, normally they could be tricked into attacking their own reflection, but since these two are working together…"

Emma grimaced. "So, in other words they aren't stupid?"

Pohatu nodded.

The girl cursed softly under her breath. "_Wonderful_."

The two rahi had finally found their footing, and hissed-clicked at the two. As the two pairs circled each other, the Toa noticed several smooth looking stones out of the corner of his eye. "You remember that move I tried to teach you last night?"

Emma snorted, not taking her eyes off the bugs. "Which one? The one where I crashed into the wall, or the other where I ended up eating dirt?"

"The one where you almost took my head off." He answered dryly.

"Again, I'm sorry." Emma apologized, before it clicked. "Wait… you want to try it on them?"

Pohatu's brow rose. "You have a better idea?"

Not having one, the girl agreed. "Let's do it."

With that, Pohatu charged forwards towards the Nui-Jaga using his _Kakama_. The two rahi reared back in surprise, before trying to catch him as he sped past. But the Toa was too fast, and he raced around them in a tight circle, leaving the two scorpions disoriented. Before they could recover, a sharp cry of "_Bonzai!_" echoed out, and a large round stone smashed into the blue Jag's head. As it fell to the ground, there was another cry before a second stone smashed into the side of the purple one.

Emma grinned as she stood from her landing crouch, Pohatu sliding up beside her. "Nice shot." The Toa praised.

"I was aiming for you." The girl admitted with a wry grin.

Pohatu spluttered, before letting out a laugh. "Well, then it looks like your aim needs improvement!" He chuckled, clapping the girl on her back.

Emma snorted, opening her mouth too retort, only to yell in surprise as she was suddenly and rather roughly shoved to the side. Her exposed skin scrapped against the rough stone of the mesa, her body flipping over itself until she slid to a stop on her back. A groan escaped her lips as she lay there for a moment, her new scrapes stinging. Then, the girl sprang to her feet as she quickly realized who pushed her.

"_Pohatu!_" Emma screamed, staring in horror at the stinger lodged into her friend's back. A stinger that she realized had been going for _her's_…

The Toa of Stone gave the girl a weak grin, before collapsing. The purple Nui-Jaga screeched victoriously from behind his prone from, its tail waving about like mad as it click its pincers.

Emma's vision turned red as she roared angrily, before charging forwards. With all her strength, the girl slammed the hammer end of her _Kolhii_ Staff into the rani's side. There was a sharp _crack_ upon impact, and the Nui-Jaga screeched in agony as its side was torn open. Its shattered body went sailing into the air, and disappeared over the edge of the mesa.

The girl panted heavily, staring at where it disappeared over the edge. Then, she sunk to her knees as her energy waned. "P… Pohatu…" Her voice rasped, and Emma forced her aching body over to the downed Toa.

Pohatu lay on his front, his breath coming in ragged gasps, the Jaga stinger lodged into his lower back. Grasping the stinger Emma grunted, but with a hard yank was able to pull it out. Tossing the stinger to the side, the girl pulled his arm over her shoulder, forcing herself to her feet. The Toa was like a dead weight, and she forced herself to ignore how pale his mask looked. Making her way over to the edge, Emma tried not to think about how she was going to get them both back to Po-Koro safely. All she thought was that she needed to get Pohatu back, and that she needed to do it _now_.

So, with his heavy form half-slung over her shoulder, Emma began her long and treacherous descent down the mesa.

* * *

Onewa tapped his staff impatiently on the ground, glancing up the slowly rising form of Bota Magna every now and again. The twin suns had long since set, the stars shining brightly overhead.

_They were supposed to be back ages ago._ The Turaga of Stone thought to himself worriedly. _They know how dangerous it is at night in the desert._

Though Onewa was not known for being 'soft', that didn't mean that he didn't have a heart. He cared for each and every Matoran in his village, whether they be of stone or other. And while he was known for his sharp tongue, he only used it when necessary. Mainly, when one of his villagers was in trouble for something. But, he only did it because he didn't want them to make the same mistake twice.

Something came into view on the horizon, and Onewa lurched forwards in shock as the form came into view.

Emma trudged towards the village, Pohatu's limp form half-slung on her back and shoulders with his legs dragging on the ground. Her borrowed _Kolhii_ Staff was being used as a crutch to help support her. Even at a distance, various small cuts could be seen on her slim yet dust covered form.

"What happened?" Onewa hissed in worry, eyes flickering across the two forms.

Breathing heavily, Emma gasped out. "Nui-Jaga attacked us… a-and Pohatu got hit by a stinger. And-"

The girl suddenly sunk to her knees, the Toa's limp form sliding off her shoulder. Onewa gently caught Emma's overheated and exhausted frame, and started shouting for the village healers.

* * *

It was the next day that he found her. She was sitting in the stands, arctic eyes focused on the game below. She barely twitched as he sat besides her.

"I hear that you carried me all the way back." Pohatu said after a moment of silence.

Emma weakly shrugged, keeping her eyes on the field below. "You were the one who took a Nui-Jaga stinger for me. I-It was the least I could do."

Glancing down at her, the Toa was surprised to see tears forming in her eyes. "Emma…?"

"T-That stinger was meant for me…" she whispered, "you n-never shoulda taken it… y-you weren't supposed to get hurt…"

Pohatu gently wrapped an arm around the girl, gently holding her against his side. Her form shook with repressed sobs as he comforted her. "It's okay. I'm okay. You're okay. We're both okay."

"B-But-! I-I-!" Emma choked out, tears trickling down her face.

The Toa Nuva of Stone gently wiped the salty liquid away with his thumb, rubbing her arm. "No buts. We're okay."

Emma buried her face into his armoured side, clutching his torso. Pohatu moved his hand to her back, gently rubbing it in a manner similar to how he saw a mother comfort her child.

The two sat there long after the game ended, with the larger reassuring the smaller that everything was all right.

* * *

The desert was hot, but she was used to the heat by now. So, she continued to trek on.

Emma had long since left Po-Koro, now making her way to the next village. She had said farewell to her brother and friends before leaving with a restocked sac — and, of course, her spear.

Suddenly, she stopped at a noise from behind her. Turning, the girl watched as what appeared to be a small dust cloud raced towards her. It stopped just short of her, revealing the taller form of Pohatu.

"Almost missed you." He chuckled, grinning down at her.

Emma had to laugh. Only the Toa with the Mask of Speed could say that. "Well, since you weren't there when I left, you almost did."

The Toa of Stone laughed as well, gently patting her on the back before ruffling the hat on her head. The girl whined in protest, swatting at the offending hand. "_Po-hatu!_"

Pulling back with a chuckle, the Toa crouched before her. "Well, I did need to grab something." With that, he reached back, and pulled out a long staff out of his subspace. "Made specially for you by the carvers."

Emma gasped, taking it from his arms. "A _Kolhii_ Staff?"

Pohatu smiled as the girl ran her hands over it, examining it. It was much longer than the Matoran sized ones, with a slightly larger scoop and hammer. As she turned it over, she noticed some writing carved into the staff. Four Matoran letters, spelling…

"My name…" Emma murmured with surprise, running her thumb over the letters.

The Toa laid a hand on her shoulder, while holding out another holster similar to the one holding her spear — made specifically for the staff. "Well, of course. The staff is yours."

A grin made its way onto her face as the girl took the holster and hooked the strap over her left shoulder, opposite to the one over her right. Then, after placing the staff in it, she suddenly launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug. "Thank you!"

Pohatu chuckled, gently hugging her back.

When they pulled apart, he smiled down at her. "Now, how about a lift?"

Emma smiled widely, showing her teeth.

Soon, the two were racing across the desert, whooping loudly from the thrill. Ahead of them, the towering rocky mountains rose before them, hiding the Region of Earth below it.

* * *

"Again, you somehow manage to beat the odds, little organic." Makuta rumbled to himself as he stood in his dar, underground lair. "But now you are going underground into the darkness. I wonder if you can handle it?"

The monster turned to his kneeling servant. "Prepare my rahi for her arrival."

"Of course, Master."

* * *

A/N - And finally done! We end on another almost-cliffhanger! Any guesses to what the rahi is/are?

Wow… it took quite a bit of time to write, didn't it?

Well, after the car accident I was in, I managed to heal enough to really do my job at the bike camp. And because of that, I was coming home everyday wiped. Not to mention all the sunburns…

Outside of all that, I started my second year of university at the beginning of September. That now means homework, such as writing assignments, lab reports, reading textbooks/studying, etc. So, yeah, I'm gonna be busy.

Now, I got a PM saying that this story seems different from the previous book, and that the only similarities are in the series or my character. I wanted to address this, and I won't be naming names (don't worry Raz, it's not you!).

Okay, I do actually get it, but I still want to explain some of the plan I had from the beginning.

So, when I started all this, I've had a few changes in my original plans when A) it wouldn't work B) I had a better idea and C) I just didn't like where the original plan was going. Also, as you can see, my 'story style' as it's called, has changed. I may go back and update the previous book when I have more time.

Any ways, the reason why this plot is different is because, well (I honestly thought this would be kinda obvious, but oh well…) this is set in a different set of circumstances.

Let me say it simply: Emma is exploring her 'second home' after being gone by their time 1000 years, and of course Makuta's on her tail. Each of these chapters is being portrayed as 'separate' — as in whenever she visits a village she is doing/seeing/experiencing different things. Each of the Koros work/function differently, each with their own unique inhabitants.

And again (I've said this way too many times) Emma is well known around the island… because of being there in the past as their 'first Toa'. So there will be some that respect her like that, and others who see her more as a 'childhood friend' come back.

Of course, for poor Emma it was only about six months (Sept to Feb) so this is a big shock to her. New/finished villages, passed friends, grown-up friends, and of course new protectors who had no idea about how close Emma was/is with their people. Reason being the Toa Mata/Nuva were never really told of her was because how Emma 'left' was still a sore subject, as — if you have read my previous book — she left under 'less than ideal' circumstances.

Not to mention the Turaga have a certain 'Toa protectiveness' that latched onto Emma and they now consider her their 'little sister'.

So at first, Emma was a poor young pre-teen thrown into the mist of a crazy coup and literally had no other option then to stay with the group she was with — who she also thought were cool as they were her version of 'superheroes' from watching the films. Those 'heroes' then became something of a family to her, but then she was taken away — again, in a 'not so ideal' way. Now, she has come back — again, doesn't know why or how — but is taking the opportunity to reconnect with those she had gotten close to in the past.

So yes, while the series is still under the same name and a similar OC, that's not the only thing 'connecting' the books. The dynamic between a lot if the characters has either evolved, changing, or is being formed.

Also — so I cover all my bases — sequels to some series are different from the original. Take, for example, Pokemon. It's changed a lot though the years, but still revolves around the same two characters, with call backs and what not to previous seasons. Every episode — every _season_ — is unique, though some bear similarities. But all throughout the series the main characters are growing and changing, some noticeable, some not (I'm not including the change from Kalos to Alola. That was actually kinda terrible), but the changes are there.

But so are the consistencies. So yes, different style, different plot, but in the end it will all come together and make sense.

You guys didn't actually think that I would give everything away right away, right? I _love_ suspense, so saving plot-twists, reveal of secrets, etc are necessary. Otherwise, the plot would be so boring you wonderful readers would conk out a quarter of the way through.

So, I hope now that everyone has a better understanding — and no, I won't give anything away. Nice try JustAFemaleGeek.

Also, special thanks to her, GoldenDragonKight, and Razoreagle k'Leshya for their wonderful suggestions on the next chapter's title. They were all so good, I decided to combine them! Thanks you guys, I really needed the help!

Until next time!

Next Chapter - Facing Her Darkest Fears


	10. Chapter 7 - Facing her Darkest Fears

A/N - Hey all! Sorry for the lateness! Even when I got off my first term I was busy at home over the holidays. So… yeah. That's my excuse. Any ways, I have a new chapter for you all, so there's that!

Also, I'm back in my second term, so again FF will be taking a backseat. But I'll do my best to get chapter 8 out for you sooner rather than later.

And in other news… my family adopted a new cat! We brought him home from the shelter in late October (Sparks was NOT impressed)… and it turns out that the new cat (we named him Scamper) is a Maine Coon. Yep, my Dad unknowingly adopted one of the LARGEST domestic cat breeds on the planet! He has WAY too much energy! I'm surprised the Christmas tree survived…

So, that's everything I'll give you now. I'll cut the chitchat and let you wonderful readers get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle. Only my OC and the current plot.

* * *

If there was one thing Emma hated and feared more than spiders, heights, and scorpions, it was the dark. Ever since Pohatu had left her at the Onu-Koro tunnel, she had been making her way down, using the writing on the wall as a guide. But even with a lightstone in hand, the natural darkness of the tunnel seemed to wrap around her, like it was trying to suffocate her-!

The girl forced the unwanted thought from her mind. She couldn't think like that now. Holding up the lightstone higher, Emma glanced down the tunnel. It stretched downwards in a gentle slope, before it vanished from sight. Looking at the writing on the wall, she knew that she was getting close to Onu-koro.

_At least, I hope I am._ Emma thought to herself. _I'm still having trouble with the phrases and the older spelling._ She was, however, grateful that even though the letters and words of the Matoran language were pronounced differently from English, that the more common spelling was almost the same. Almost being the key word.

Just then, a skittering sound was heard nearby. Emma whipped her head around, eyes going wide and her right hand reaching back to grab her spear. The girl looked around slowly, but even with the lightstone she could not see what made the sound. Suddenly, her Danger Sense went off like a shot, and Emma whipped around.

Her scream echoed throughout the tunnels as her lightstone shattered on the ground.

* * *

His head snapped up, his two toned green eyes wide before they narrowed. The almost-nine foot tall, black and grey form slowly rose to his feet, one hand resting on the wall of earth.

"Toa?" A smaller form at his feet asked, a tone of concern in his voice.

The larger form rumbled. "Remain here little one, I must investigate something." And like that he was off, racing down another tunnel.

The further down the Toa ran, the darker it seemed to get. But he ignored that, his eyes naturally adjusted to the darkness of the underground. He knew what he had heard, and no matter how faint, a scream was a scream.

It wasn't long before he could hear the sounds of a commotion, and the distinct sounds of a rahi.

The Toa quickly slid into the tunnel, and even in the near pitch-black he could see a massive, crab-like form standing over a smaller being. His green eyes narrowed angrily. "Leave the little one be, Mana!" He lunged forwards, and slammed one of his tools into the rahi's side.

The Mana Crab screeched in anger, but the Toa acted faster. He slammed both his Quake Breakers into the ground, and the earth under the rahi exploded upwards. The Mana screeched upon being hit, but surprisingly took off down the tunnel in a retreat.

Sighing, the Toa stood to his feet, turning to the smaller form. Something crunched under foot, and looking down he saw the remnants of a lightstone. The smaller form whimpered, and he left the shattered pieces behind to check on her.

"It's alright now," he soothed, gently touching her arm, "the Mana is gone."

She blinked at him, her eyes not adjusted to the dark like his, but she must have recognized his voice. "O-Onua?'

Now that he was closer, the Toa realized who this was. "Emma?" He rumbled in surprise, not expecting to see the human girl and honorary Toa down here.

However, before he could ask what she was doing down in the Onu-Wahi tunnels, the girl lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his middle and crying. For a moment Onua was confused, but then it dawned on him — she was scared.

He gently rubbed Emma's back, rumbling reassurances as she cried. "You're alright, it's gone."

But the girl kept crying, only shaking her head and clinging tighter to him, pressing her face against his armour. Now the Toa was further confused, but when he glanced over at the shattered remains of the lightstone, Onua wanted to hit his head on a wall. The girl wasn't just scared of the Mana — she was afraid of the dark.

Sighing, Onua gently picked her and her dropped bag up, and began to make his way back to his Koro. It was now that the Toa was reminded that while Emma may be an honorary Toa, she was still a child. A child who was scared of the dark.

* * *

"It's alright now," Onua rumbled gently to the girl clinging to him, "Onu-Koro is just ahead."

Sure enough, the tunnel was getting lighter the further they walked, and the Toa could already begin to make out the sounds of its residents. Emma raised her head a little, turning it to look ahead through tear filled eyes. The girl had not said a word since the Toa of Earth had found her, instead choosing to cling to him like the glowing ferns that grew on the tunnel walls, all while crying silently. Onua smiled gently, reaching up and wiping a few tears from her eyes. "See, we're almost there."

Emma looked up at him, her arctic blue eyes big and watery from the crying. "R-Really?" She whimpered, her voice small.

The Toa nodded. "Yes, and there is plenty of light there."

The girl relaxed at that, letting her head rest against his large chest. "Thank you…" Her soft words drifted up to him, and Onua smiled. "It was no problem." He rumbled, gently rubbing her back.

Already, the Toa could feel his protective instincts rising to the surface, demanding that the little one in his arms be protected, and that the things that scared her be driven away. He gently pushed the instinct back, knowing that there was not much he could do about getting rid of the darkness, but he agreed with the part that wanted to protect her. While Emma was an honorary Toa, she was still a child, and while in his territory she was under _his_ protection.

It wasn't long that the two exited the tunnel, and entered the massive underground cavern that held the Village of Earth.

Onu-Koro was certainly a sight to behold for Emma, as her eyes took in everything. From the massive stalactites and stalagmites that were dozens of yards long, the massive pillars of rock rising from floor to ceiling, to the lightstones and glowing plants that were everywhere, and the buildings both build on or in the earth itself. Matoran were bustling about, mainly consisting of Onu-Matoran, but a few spots of brown, blue and even some white were visible.

The girl slowly unhooked her arms from around the larger guardian, who gently set her feet on the ground. Already their entrance had been noticed, as some of the nearby Matoran made their way over. The Matoran looked excited to see Emma, and Onua was happy to see the girl relax as she greeted them.

However, there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Why was there a Mana Crab so deep in the Onu-Wahi tunnels, and why did it go after Emma? Something wasn't right.

* * *

"…and these garnets were dug from at least a couple bios from an old lava tube located beneath the mountains."

Emma nodded her head, listening to the Onu-Matoran in front of her explain where each of the minerals were found.

"And these-" he gestured to a small pile of blue-ish gems "-sapphires were found near the outskirts of the Wahi."

"So what are you going to do with all these gems?" The girl asked curiously, looking at the different crates filled with the minerals.

The black and grey Matoran smiled at her. "Well, the majority of these minerals, mostly the gems, will be shipped to Po-Koro, where they'll be carved and shaped. The rest will go to Ta-Koro, to be made into tools, machine parts, and Kanohi masks." He explained, picking up a scroll with writing on it: a chart. "In fact- hang on…" He then rummaged around his desk, muttering something about misplaced charts and "cross-wired bolt-headed" assistants. "Oh… this will take a while…" he groaned to himself.

Emma, seeing as he was going to be busy for quite a while, bade the Onu-Matoran farewell and slipped out of his workshop, not even bothered by his half thrown wave in response. She knew that she could come back later.

Once outside, the girl could see the different Matoran bustling about, with the miners bringing in freshly mined rocks such as protodermis ore, lightstones, and other minerals. In the distance she could see the Onu-Koro Market, which was only rivalled by Po-Koro's. Nearby were the sounds of the engineers working away on tools and other objects.

The constant hustle and bustle was… nice. Calming, even.

"Enjoying the view?" A familiar, aged voice asked. One that Emma had wanted to hear.

"Brother!" She smiled, turning to kneel and hug the shorter form.

Whenua chuckled, gently patting her back. "Sorry I did not greet you sooner. Nuparu needed my advice on a few ideas he had."

Emma nodded in understanding. "I understand… I missed you _onu-ani_."

The Turaga gently pressed his forehead against hers. "And I missed you as well, little _gi_." He murmured softly.

When he pulled back, there was a small smirk on his face. "I've heard that you've been looking at all the different minerals being mined. Interested in rocks?"

The girl flushed. "Well, uh… I just like rocks." At a look from him, she sighed. "I really, _really_ like rocks."

Whenua laughed, gently patting her arm. "Well then, you are in the right place. In fact-"

"Turaga!"

Turning, the two saw an Onu-Matoran run up. "Turaga, Commander Onepu is requesting your presence at once!"

Emma gently patted her brother's shoulder. "Go on. They need you, and you know I'll be staying in your hut tonight."

Whenua sighed but nodded. He turned to follow the Matoran, but before he did he turned back and shook his staff at her. "And you'd better stay out of trouble. Don't think for a moment that I haven't heard about those shenanigans you got into, especially in Po-Koro!"

Emma's jaw opened and closed, but no words escaped as she tried to process what he just said. When she did finally process it, Whenua had long left with the Matoran. Emma groaned, running a hand down her face, but even then a small smile flickered onto her face.

"At least he didn't bonk me on the head or lecture me."

* * *

It was late when Whenua returned to his hut — well, it was hard to tell time so deep underground, but there were a few vents for letting out fumes that were not contained by the chimneys that also let in light from the suns. So with that, when the light of the suns vanished it was considered late. He knew his little sister was inside, as the fireplace was already lit to ward off the natural coolness of the Koro at night.

"I apologize for coming in so late, but Onepu's issue needed more attention than I initially thought and- oh." The Turaga stopped when he took in the sight before him.

Laying face down on the floor, out like a light, with a few scrolls surrounding her, a tablet, and an old pen, was Emma.

Whenua quietly moved over, picking up one of the scrolls, and he had to stifle a chuckle. The girl had apparently been practicing her writing, and judging from the line scribbling off the page, she had dozed off mid-sentence. Moving as silently as he could, the Turaga cleaned up the mess, before he then gently scooped up the girl. It was a little awkward, and he was more than grateful for his natural strength. All Earth-Elemental Bionicle were naturally stronger than other elements, and as such he was able to carry heavier objects more easily than his siblings. However, the Turaga noticed how… _light_ the girl was. Even though Emma was fully organic, he knew she was well muscled.

Whenua sighed, pushing the matter from his mind. He was probably reading into this wrong, as he had no clue what the healthy weight of a human her age was. He gently laid her out on a spare cot, and draped a blanket over her. The Turaga smiled a little when she mumbled in her sleep, curling up and making almost a purring sound. He gently stroked her cheek, his smile growing more fond as his little sister subconsciously leaned into the touch.

A yawn escaped him, so he decided to call it a night as well.

* * *

It was the loud scream that woke him up.

Toa Onua was out of his Suva in a shot, racing through the massive cavern towards where the wail had originated. He quickly discovered that the cry had come from Turaga Whenua's hut, and he could see that there was already a small gathering of Matoran surrounding it.

Onua gently pushed his way through, and crouched to enter the hut. "Turaga?" He rumbled, only to stop at what he saw.

On the floor, Emma was curled up against the Turaga, sobbing softly and her eyes squeezed shut as tears slid down her cheeks. Whenua had an arm wrapped around the girl, gently consoling her and trying to calm her. He did look up, however, when Onua entered. "Toa Onua." He greeted quietly.

"What happened?" The Toa asked softly, kneeling down next to the two, ducking his head to keep it from impacting the ceiling.

Whenua sighed, gently rubbing Emma's back as the girl whimpered. "A night-terror, I'm afraid." He said. "And those are unfortunately common for her."

Onua felt a pang in his chest as he heard that. No child should have to suffer from such obviously horrible dreams. "May I?" He asked, reaching out.

Whenua nodded, a bit reluctantly, but relinquished his hold, letting the Toa gingerly take the shaking girl into his arms. Emma whimpered pitifully when she was pulled away from her brother, but upon being held by the larger form she curled into him, crying softly. Onua gently sat back, having a much easier time cradling the girl than his Turaga given that he was larger.

To be honest, he wasn't sure why he was doing this, but it felt _right_. Maybe it was a part of being a Toa — a protector. Even though he could not recall life before the island, he could have sworn that he had done something similar in his past.

Another whimper escaped from the child in his arms, and Onua gently rubbed her back, rocking a little. It seemed to do the trick, as after a while Emma's cries slowly died down into faint hiccups. She had buried her face into his silver chest armour, and one of her hands subconsciously clutched the top edge of it.

"'M sorry 'm sorry 'm sorry…" she mumbled through her hiccups, "I wasn't fast enough… not fast enough… never fast 'nough…"

Onua's heart clenched when he heard that, and he looked over at Turaga Whenua, who looked saddened. Catching the Toa's eye, he sighed. "She had a terrible childhood," the Turaga of Earth said softly, running a hand down the girl's head, "one I would never wish on even my worst enemy."

As much as the Toa wanted to ask more, he knew that Whenua was not saying much as to keep Emma calm. And it was a good thing as well, as the girl started to cry again after hearing that little bit. It took awhile for the two of them to calm her down again, and a little longer to coax her to go back to sleep.

* * *

Onua sat on his rarely used cot, and leaned his back against one of his hut's walls with a sigh, looking down at the small form gently cradled in his arms. _Mata Nui… what has this child gone through?_ He thought silently to himself, rubbing the girl's back a little when she whimpered in her sleep.

The other villagers had long since dispersed, heading to their own huts for the night. Turaga Whenua had taken some persuading to be reassured that the Toa could watch over Emma for the remainder of the night. The Earth Toa could have easily gone to his Suva, but he was unsure of how the girl's body would react to the concentrated elemental energy from his Nuva Symbol, being that she did not possess an element of her own. So, he was sitting in his rarely used hut on the outskirts of the village, keeping an eye on the Turaga's little sister.

_I wonder how they met…_ Onua thought silently to himself, adjusting his grip a little on the girl. He could have easily laid her down and simply kept an eye on her, but Emma had managed to fist the edge of his chest armour, and even in her sleep refused to release it. The Toa did not wish to disturb her, so he left her be. _She must have left an impact on the Turaga, as they adopted her as their sister…_

There was the other thing that had puzzled him since he first arrived on this island. To his knowledge, only Toa, beings of different elements, called each other brother and sister. Yet, the Turaga of the island interacted with each other as though they were siblings. Emma was even called an 'honorary Toa' by them. It was almost like the Turaga had once been…

Onua shook his head. No, it wasn't possible as far as he knew. This was probably just one of the many things he would never understand about the Turaga.

A small sound came from the girl in his arms, and the Toa of Earth looked down. Emma's eyes were twitching, and she started whimpering. Gently, Onua began to rub her back, cradling her closer and rocking her a little. He shushed her softly, murmuring reassurances. It took a while for her to settle back down, and thankfully she didn't wake.

His heart went out for the girl. No one should have to suffer such nightmares, especially one so young. Thus, Onua spent the rest of the night ensuring that the girl- no, the child in his arms slept soundly, silently warding off any night-terrors.

* * *

When Emma awoke the next morning, the first thing that she noticed was that she was not laying on her cot. For one, it was far larger than the one she was used to sleeping on. There was a blanket laying on top of her, tucked around her sides and a folded blanket was tucked under her head akin to a pillow. Blinking open her eyes, she found herself in a sparsely filled hut, one that was built for someone far taller than herself.

The girl pushed herself up, letting the blanket settle around her waist. A large yawn escaped her as she rubbed her eyes, blinking the sleep out of them. She could hear the sounds of Onu-Koro outside, though the sounds were a little more distant, like wherever she was further from the Koro-Centre than her brother's hut had been.

Confusion filled her mind, however. Last she remember, she had been inside her brother's home. Why was she no longer there? Had something happened? She struggled to remember.

Emma looked at the inside of the hut, taking in the shelves that contained only a few items, a couple of containers, a small woven basket, and some rocks. A lightstone sat on the small desk next to the cot, giving the interior a faint, but welcoming orange glow.

Then, the curtains of the hut shifted, before a larger form entered. Bioluminescent two toned green eyes blinked in surprise, before a small smile formed on his mask. "Good morning Emma." The Toa rumbled softly.

The girl blinked, before it clicked. She was in Onua's hut! "I'm sorry!" She yelped, moving to get up. "I-I'm sorry if I-!"

A large hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Emma, you have nothing to apologize for." Onua said softly, kneeling before her. "What happened last night was something that you had no control over."

Emma just stared at the Toa, now very confused. "B-But-! H-How did I-?!" She held her head, whimpering softly,

The Toa, seeing how distressed she was getting, pulled the girl into a hug. It pained him how she stiffened at the contact at first, before relaxing as he rubbed her back soothingly. "Emma, I brought you to my hut so I could keep an eye on you. I don't need the same amount to sleep as you do, because as a Toa can I naturally go longer without it. And as long as you are within this region, you are under my protection, so giving you comfort and a feeling of safety during the night was no problem."

Faint sniffles escaped the girl. "R-Really?"

Onua smiled, holding her closer. "Really." He rumbled softly.

Emma started crying into his armour, and the Toa of Earth continued to rub her back soothingly. The girl was in need of a good cry, so he had given her a shoulder to do so on.

He was patient, waiting calmly for her sobs to die down. Once they did, Onua gently let her lean back, and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "Better?"

The girl nodded a little. "Y-Yeah… thank you…" she smiled up at him a little.

The Toa smiled back, before gently helping her stand. "Come, Turaga Whenua is waiting for you."

Emma perked up at the mention of her brother, and eagerly followed the massive Toa out.

"Emma!"

The girl raced forwards at the sound her name, and embraced the black Turaga. "Brother!"

Onua watched as the two hugged. He could see the bond between them, as Whenua gently cupped her face in his hands, talking to her softly. Emma laid her hands over his, saying something back in an equally soft tone. Then, the two pressed their foreheads together in a display of pure sibling love.

The Toa turned and walked away silently, feeling as though he was intruding on a private moment. A part of him was a little envious of how strong her bond was with the Turaga, her adopted siblings. If only he could have that strong of a bond with his brothers and sister…

* * *

Emma looked curiously at a cart of unactivated lightstones, gazing at all the different colours. Most were yellow or orange in colour, though she could see some blue, red, as well as a few other colours mixed within. She couldn't remember if lightstones came in more than one variety or not, but seeing what she was seeing, she figured it didn't matter.

Eventually, the girl wandered away from the cart, and aimlessly walked around the market. She glanced at the different stands and the minerals being sold and traded, idly taking a few moments to look before moving on. Emma moved out of the way of an ussal crab pulling a cart and its Matoran owner, turning and walking backwards as she did. But when she turned to face forwards, she let out a yelp as she walked into something.

"Whoa there!" A familiar voice chuckled, a large pair of hands gently catching her shoulders. "You may wish to pay attention to where you are walking."

Emma blinked, then glanced up and yelped in surprise. "Onua! I'm so sorry!"

The Toa laughed, gently squeezing one of her shoulders. "It's alright. Accidents happen." Looking around, he chuckled, a knowing look in his eyes. "Interested in rocks I see?"

The girl's cheeks flushed red. "Um… I guess…"

"Is that so?" Smiling, Onua gently wrapped his massive arm over her shoulder, and began to walk with her. "How would you like a tour of the mines from where these rocks come from?"

Emma's face brightened with surprise. "Really?"

He grinned. "Of course! You have an interest in rocks! It would not be fair for your stay here to be without a tour of Onu-Koro's mines!"

The girl couldn't stop herself from grinning back. "Thank you!"

Onua chuckled, and guided the girl to where the miners were mainly clustered. "First, the closest mine located to the Koro is the Great Mine. There is where the majority of the ore is mined…"

Emma listened for the next long while, following the larger Toa of Earth around the different areas of the Onu-Koro Mining system. Watching the miners working away on mining the different minerals with varying techniques was neat in the girl's opinion, but her focus was more on the actual minerals being mined.

Onua didn't seem to notice, not that Emma minded. She could hear the pride in the Earth Toa's voice as he talked about the techniques.

_He definitely cares about his village,_ Emma thought, listening as he enthusiastically talked about how careful the Onu-Matoran had to be when mining heatstones, _the pride in his voice as he talks about them is so clear…_

Her head lowered, her bangs hiding her eyes from sight. _I wish I could talk the same way about my home, but I can't. Even with my Mom and friends, I just…_

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Onua laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come, you must see the-"

"Toa!"

Girl and Toa turned as a Matoran ran up to them, looking panicked. "Small Mana Crabs are attacking some miners in the outer tunnels!" He pointed behind him. "The newer ones!"

Onua was the first to spring into action, and took off in the direction the Matoran had pointed. Emma scrambled after him with a yelp, pumping her legs to keep up with him.

However, it wasn't long before the girl lost sight of the larger Toa as she attempted to keep up. Her lungs and leg muscles began to burn, so she was forced to slow to a stop and lean against a rocky wall to catch her breath. Then, the girl realized that she was in a tunnel… and that she had no idea where she was.

_Oh shit…_ Emma's face paled. She was lost, alone, in the semi-darkness of a tunnel…

The honorary Toa nearly jumped out of her skin when a bellowing shout followed by loud screeches sounded from nearby. She took off towards where the sounds of fighting were now echoing from, her heart beginning to race. She skidded into an open passageway, lit with lightstones. There, she saw Onua fighting… more Mana Crabs! There was a whole swarm of them! Granted they were smaller than the ones Gali had told her about, but still! These creatures were _dangerous_, and it took the whole team to defeat them, and that was against full sized ones!

Emma threw herself into the fray, grabbing her kohlii staff and smashing the side of one crab with the hammer end. It screeched in pain, and two more crabs turned to her. One snapped at her with its claws, but the girl jumped away. The other tried to rush her when she landed, but Emma side stepped and swung the hammer at its unprotected back. It screamed, falling to the ground.

Everything became chaos after that, with girl and Toa fighting against the Mana Crabs. A few downed crabs lay on the cavern floor, and the two fighters were beginning to wear from exhaustion. But they stood their ground, glaring at the remaining rahi.

The crabs chattered amongst each other, before spreading out.

Onua and Emma tensed, watching them. Faster than the two could react, the crabs turned… and smashed the remaining lightstones!

The girl felt her heart freeze as they were plunged into pure darkness. Panic began to take hold, her body beginning to tremble and a whine building in her chest. Dark dark dark she couldn't _see_…!

Onua turned his head, his eyes designed to allow him to see in the darkness. "Emma?" He rumbled softly, well aware of the crabs slowly moving in.

The girl was shaking, her form curled in and tense. Her eyes were large and filled with fear, and she looked ready to bolt.

The Toa of Earth felt his eyes widen as he remembered. The girl was afraid of the dark! Cursing to himself for forgetting, he shifted so that his body was between the now-terrified child and the Mana. A low rumble built in his chest as Onua glared at the advancing rahi.

He would _not_ let them pass!

* * *

Emma pressed herself against the wall of the tunnel as screeches and the clanging/scraping sounds of metal on metal rang out. She could hear Onua grunt every now and again as he fought, and she knew that she had to help, but…

The honorary Toa squeezed her eyes shut, holding her arms tightly over her head. It was so _dark_! She hated the dark! It pressed around her, all encompassing and suffocating. She could _feel_ the darkness… _feel_ how cold it was! She trembled, a whine building. Dark dark she hated the dark!

Emma jumped in alarm when there was a loud crash that shook the tunnel, followed by a roar of pain. She head snapped up, and although she couldn't see a darn thing in the darkness she could feel from the vibrations and shout that Onua had been overwhelmed, and from the hissing-clicking that the Mana were closing in.

The girl realized that if she didn't do _something_, Onua could be… no!

Taking a deep breath, Emma forced herself to stand, grabbing her Kohlii Staff in a tight but shaky grip. She listened carefully, and tried to follow the sounds of the rahi. She could hear them chittering, and the sounds of their claws clacking against one another. She was scared… but her fear of losing her friend was bigger.

Then, she heard Onua groan in pain. With a sudden burst of courage, the girl charged forwards with a loud yell, swinging randomly. The hammer of her staff hit a crab, as she heard the sound of metal on metal, felt the reverberations through the staff, and there was a loud screech. Emma swung at random, yelling and just putting as much force behind each hit as she could, feeling the hammer slamming into metal shell after shell. She kept swinging and yelling, not realizing that at one point she was no longer hitting anything, until-

"Enough." The girl yelped at the hand placed on her shoulder, swinging around to attack. Her staff was gently grabbed from her grip, and held away from her. "It's alright now. They're gone."

Emma blinked wildly, her scared and spooked stance slowly loosening. "O-Onua?" She asked, her voice shaking.

She felt the hand on her shoulder gently squeeze, and pull her close. Emma immediately latched onto the Toa's form in the dark, shaking. His larger arms gently wrapped around her, picking her up and holding the girl to his chest. His larger hand gently rubbed her back, and the girl hid her face against his chest, her fear beginning to overwhelm her again.

Onua just held her close, tucking her Kohlii Staff day safely in his subspace. Focusing his earth powers, he sealed the tunnel the small Mana had retreated down, making a mental note to tell the Matoran to stay away from this area until he could inspect it further. Then, he began to make his way back up to the main tunnels, gently holding onto Emma's still shaking form.

But even as he walked at a steady, decent pace, the Toa was in a fair state of shock. He had seen her swinging at the Mana crabs in a scared, fearful but protective way. She hadn't noticed, but Onua had seen the power behind her swings. Despite being a small and purely organic child… she had swung so hard that she _shattered_ the armour on some of them. Even though these Mana were smaller — _much_ smaller than the ones he and the other Nuva had fought as Toa Mata — they were still a challenge. And yet, Emma had driven them off on her own, _without_ being able to see them.

_Or had she?_ Onua felt a scowl form on his face. The Mana were the Makuta's personal rahi… and before they had retreated they seemed to have gotten some sort of signal. _Were…Were they sent by him?_ The Toa wondered, stepping out into another tunnel, one that was partly lit. _But why send small ones? And why did they pull back like they did? _

The Earth Toa didn't like this. There was something off. Something very, very off.

* * *

The Makuta stood before one of the glowing green pillars, his hands behind his back. His small Mana crabs had returned some time ago, having done what they were meant to do. "So, you have gotten stronger…" he rumbled to himself, a hand drifting to his shoulder. He could still recall the day she had managed to injure him… her, a small, pure organic creature. A _child_.

But while it was humiliating, it also gave him an idea. One, that given her closeness to the Toa, both former and present, may lead to his victory. _If she survives._ The Makuta thought to himself with a dark smirk. He always had a backup plan for his plans.

"Master?"

Turning, the dark being looked down upon his kneeling servant. "What is it?"

"I discovered them buried in snow and ice." The servant gestured over to several rounded forms with a clawed hand. "I believe that they may be of use to you."

A dark laugh rumbled in the Makuta's chest. Oh yes, they would. "Prepare them for their next task then. We shall use them instead of more Muaka."

The servant bowed his head. "Of course, Master."

* * *

When Onua stepped into Onu-Koro with Emma in his arms, they were met by worried Matoran. Most fell silent when they realized that the girl had fallen asleep in their guardian's arms, and those who did spoke spoke in low tones. After assuring that yes, they were fine, nothing serious, and telling one of the miners to spread word to stay clear of that tunnel, the Toa made his way to his Turaga's hut.

Whenua met him just outside, worried when he saw his littlest sister in the Toa's arms. "What happened?

Onua sighed, laying Emma down on the cot she slept on and tucking a blanket around her, before stepping outside. "You see…" he then went into detail about what happened in the tunnel.

* * *

When Emma woke up, it was slow, but the girl instantly noticed that she couldn't see anything. Her mind, fuzzy and tired, began to panic, having flashes of being in a fight and in total darkness. Her breathing started to get out of control, eyes large and flickering about wildly.

She began to thrash, only to fall off something with a cry. The girl found herself tangled in something, which made her panic even more. _No no no-!_

Light filled her vision, and footsteps echoed off the earthy floor. "Emma! Emma calm down!" A familiar voice exclaimed as she cried out, trying to thrash away from the hands trying to touch her. "It's alright now! You're safe…"

Emma shook, blinking her eyes wildly. She knew that voice… "W…Whenua…?"

The Turaga sighed as the girl stopped thrashing, her blue eyes slowly focusing on his emerald ones. "It's alright little sister… you're safe."

The girl stared at him for a long moment, before bursting into tears. Whenua gently untangled her from the blanket, and pulled her into a hug. "Shh… you're safe now… the rahi are long gone… you're back in the village now…" he soothed softly.

Emma clung tightly to her brother, burying her face into his shoulder and tears streaming hard. Whenua hugged her tightly, rubbing her back soothingly and murmuring softly words of comfort. His heart aches as she cried, once again that his little sister was still a child, even with what she went through, she was still young… vulnerable. Honorary Toa she may be… but deep down at her core she was a hurting and deeply pained child.

When her sobs finally quieted, Whenua gently pulled back, cupping her tear streaked face with one hand. Emma sniffed miserably, shakily wiping her nose with the back of her jacket sleeve. "'M s-sorry… I-I can't s-stay here a-anymore… I c-can't…"

The Turaga of Earth felt saddened, but he understood. Gently, he laid her forehead against his, stroking her cheek softly. "I understand little sister… and if you want to leave tonight… I will help you pack."

Emma made a soft, pained sound, tears streaming. "I don't wanna leave… but I can't take the dark anymore…"

Whenua's heart clenched tightly, and he hugged her close again. "Of course little _gi_… of course…"

Emma just cried into his shoulder.

* * *

"So you're leaving?" A familiar voice rumbled softly.

Emma glanced behind her, a few bios away from a tunnel to the surface. "Oh, Onua…" she shifted the grip on her sack strap, "yeah… I am…"

The Toa laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Then allow me to be your guide to the surface."

The thirteen year old stared at him in surprise. "But… what about Onu-Koro?"

Onua smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder a little. "The village will be fine… it has survived this long without me… it can survive a few hours more."

Emma blinked at him, before smiling. "Thank you."

The Toa of Earth smiled broadly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked into the tunnel together. The two made small talk as they walked, the larger guiding the way.

"Going to Ko-Koro huh? A little chilly if you ask me…" Onua chucked.

Emma sighed. "I'm not a big fan of the cold… but Nuju's one of my brothers and I have friends there." She smiled whimsically, fondly recalling memories of the icy village's beginning. "We'd have snowball fights… and then when we'd get to cold sit by a fire with a warm drink, wrapped in blankets and listening to stories…" she giggled a little, "and one time, _ko-ani _pranked us by using his mask to levitate a cloth. We thought it was a ghost… poor Matoro fainted from fright…"

Onua listened as the girl spoke fondly of what were obviously memories of her time on the island a thousand years ago. Though he never knew Turaga Nuju to be a prankster…

The girl sighed, glancing around the tunnel lit only by the lightstone. "I can't wait to get back up top… feel the warm suns again…"

Onua chuckled. "Not a big fan of being underground?"

Emma made a face at him. "No. No I do not!"

The Earth Toa let out a bark of laughter, patting her back.

Emma couldn't help but laugh as well, and the two continued on their way towards the surface.

* * *

A/N - Viola! Finished this latest chapter!

So, late Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Hope you all had a good vacation and a Happy New Year! I know I did… because I got a new phone! My parents got me an iPhone XR! I will admit I had a ten minute freak out session before fainting, then freaking out again.

But yeah… I'm just over the moon with shock. I thought that if I was going to get a new phone, it would be an 8 or something, not an XR.

*coughs* Anyways, nothing else to say really, except that can anyone guess what the servant found? Heh heh… kudos to those who can! (Though I may have made it too easy…) And what's Makuta planning now? It's not good… but I think you know that!

And poor Onua… so close yet so far!

'Till next time all!

Next Chapter - A Frosty Scare


	11. Important Update!

Hey everyone! Just a quick update for you guys, not another chapter (bummer, I know).

First off... i am NOT rewritting this story! Wanted to get that out there before any of you freak out. What I AM going to do, is go back and 'update' old chapters from my first book. I've realized that there is a lot more to the story that I can expand on, and some... *ahem* holes I need to fill in. Also, before i was just a little overexcited and rushed to get a story out there, without really going over ALL the details. So for right now, I'm also working on that... and I also have a minor - _MINOR_ \- writer's block, so yeah... don't worry though, I haven't lost the drive to write this, just hit a bump in the road. It won't affect the current book's plot, so you don't need to worry about that!

Big shout out and thanks to fellow author MakutaMutran! He's actually been posting all the compiled canon plot for the story line AND has given me permission to use what he posted as a base for mine! Thank you so much MM!

Second, I am still in university, fighting through two killer courses from first year (chemistry and an introductory physics course - don't ask) and two second year courses in geography. Lab reports, essays, assignments, and, oh yeah... TWO 8AM CHEMISTRY MIDTERMS! AAAAHH! *coughs ahem* I just have one more midterm left - YAY! - which is chemistry, then all I will have to worry about are finals in April. So still busy there.

Anyways, just thought I'd let you guys know, so... yeah.

I have posted a poll however - replacing the one about one-shots (hit another 'bump') - that's important. It's about whether i should leave up the old version of LoT and post the 'updated' one separately or replace it completely with the 'updated' version. Let me know what you think please!


	12. Life update

Hey all! Long time no update I know! So... I'm supposed to be in my second term of my second year of university, but... all in-class courses are cancelled and moving online until April 3 aka the end of the term.

...So, that means that I'll be home. Everyday. Doing online homework and studying for finals.

Seriously, everyone is overreacting to the coronavirus. Wash your hands, eat fresh foods, keep your immune system strong, NOT PANIC, DO NOT stock up on canned foods because those are bad for you (filled with sodium) and for the love of god... IT'S JUST A NEW STRAIN OF THE FLU! NOT THE END OF THE FRAGGING WORLD! 90% of people who get infected DON'T EVEN KNOW IT, and LIVE. The world is gonna put itself in a damn recession at this rate! (not that one wasn't needed with how prices were going, but good grief!) And it's only fatal to the ELDERLY or those with a VERY WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM. 97% of the people infected SURVIVE. Again, NOT THE END OF THE WORLD DAMNIT! STOP ACTING LIKE IT!

*sighs* Okay, feeling better now that I got that out of my system. But good lord... I was actually ENJOYING my classes and now... oooh!

So, I don't know when I'll update next, or post the revised version of my first book. Until next time!

(If you have any comments, please PM me.)


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